The committee charged with keeping Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth in business has settled on what it will ask of the Texas Legislature in 2027, and wind energy is near the top of the list.
The Regional Coordination Committee, which works to preserve the base as a military asset while improving the communities around it, approved its legislative priorities at its October meeting, the Fort Worth Report's Documenters program reported Saturday. Rebekah Gongora, a project manager with the North Central Texas Council of Governments, presented the list. Lawmakers can begin prefiling bills for the 2027 session this week.
The central goal is making sure wind turbines, communications towers, lighting and developments tied to foreign-government investment do not interfere with military flight operations.
The committee backed two wind-related bills in 2025 that did not pass. One would have required Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Defense approval for new wind projects. The other would have required voter approval for wind, solar or energy-storage facilities in counties with more than 10,000 residents.
The group also supports continued full funding for two state programs: the Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant Program, which pays for infrastructure in communities affected by Defense Department changes, and the Texas Military Value Revolving Loan Fund, which lends money to Texas defense communities.
