Senator Cornyn Urges Termination of Blue Hills Wind Farm Permit Over Security Concerns

STAFF July 23, 2024 0

U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) has called on the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to either terminate or suspend the environmental permit for the Blue Hills Wind Farm in northern Val Verde County, Texas. Cornyn’s request stems from security concerns due to the wind farm’s proximity to Laughlin Air Force Base and its ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Background and Security Concerns

In a letter to the DOD earlier in July, Senator Cornyn expressed his worries about the Blue Hills Wind Farm project. The 130,000-acre land purchase near Laughlin Air Force Base by Sun Guangxin, an oligarch with connections to the CCP, has raised significant alarms.

“Over the past few years, I have been monitoring the ongoing saga of the Blue Hills Wind Farm located in Val Verde County, Texas,” Cornyn stated. “The Air Force and other military branches use this area’s low-level training routes, and the project is associated with members of the Chinese Communist Party.”

Letter-re-Blue-Hills-Wind-Project Download

Request for Termination or Suspension

Senator Cornyn has urged the DOD to halt the mitigation agreement or contract related to the wind farm project until his office can fully investigate the potential threats it poses to Laughlin Air Force Base’s critical training missions.

“Extending the current mitigation agreement without fully understanding any ongoing connection to the Chinese is unwise and short-sighted,” Cornyn added.

Specific Threats Highlighted by Cornyn

Cornyn highlighted several specific concerns regarding the project:

Sun Guangxin plans to erect hundreds of 700-foot wind turbines, which could impede the military’s mission, present a national security threat, and endanger a historical conservation corridor between the Devils and Lower Pecos Rivers.
Sun Guangxin’s background as a former senior leader in the Chinese military and his ties to Xinjiang Province, known for human rights abuses against the Uyghurs, heighten concerns about potential surveillance and interference with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).

Community Opposition and Ongoing Issues

Cornyn noted that the Del Rio community has opposed the wind farm project for the past seven years. The infiltration of the CCP into various sectors, including large land purchases in Texas and across the U.S., has been an ongoing problem. This includes the targeting of agricultural land, posing a threat to the nation’s food supply.