Wind Power News: Oklahoma
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They are the products of the organizations or individuals noted and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.
Piedmont mayor among critics of lobbyist’s contract
Thomerson said she and other town residents are also concerned about Fina’s relationship with Apex Wind Energy, which recently failed win over residents in its bid to extend a wind turbine project into Piedmont.
Cherokees OK joint wind-energy project in north-central Oklahoma
TAHLEQUAH – The Cherokee Nation has approved plans to team up with four other tribes to develop a 90-turbine wind farm in Kay County. The five tribes will jointly operate the facility with 45 turbines on 3,000 acres of Cherokee-owned property and 45 more turbines on 3,000 acres owned by the four other tribes – the Kaw Nation, Otoe-Missouria Tribe, Pawnee Nation and Ponca Nation. The Cherokee Nation’s partner is Chicago-based PNE Wind USA Inc. Development of the wind farm . . .
Public comment period continues on native fowl
Interested parties have a little more time to tell the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service if and how the lesser prairie-chicken should be listed as a threatened species as a new comment period opens today. “The public comment period will be reopened for 45 days to allow an opportunity for the public, the scientific community and other interested parties to provide input on the original listing proposal in light of a newly-released range-wide conservation plan for the species,” said Lesli . . .
Records request goes unanswered by council, mayor
A public records request for emails concerning a proposed wind farm project has gone unanswered by all but one councilman and the mayor. The Piedmont Citizen filed a public records request for any emails containing discussion of Apex Wind Energy and a proposed wind farm west of Piedmont on March 26. The request was relayed to the Piedmont city council and mayor, but as of Wednesday morning, only outgoing councilman Larry Gage had submitted emails to the Citizen. A recall . . .
Councilman responds to recall, says he never wanted wind turbines
In his response to the recall petition against him, Piedmont Councilman Vernon Woods defended his decision to meet with representatives from a wind energy company and said his goal has always been to keep windmills out of the city. The rest of this story is for Piedmont Plus subscribers online. Please login or sign up for a new account.
Council approves further study of wind farm
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Tribal Council at its March 11 meeting approved two wind energy-related leases to Chilocco Wind Farm LLC for the evaluation and possible development of a wind farm on Cherokee Nation-owned lands in central Oklahoma. If developed, the wind farm would be located on lands commonly referred to as Chilocco. Chilocco is a former federal Indian boarding school that operated between 1884 and 1980 near present-day Newkirk. According to a report given earlier that day to the . . .
Wind energy company faces growing opposition to project
A wind energy company that has proposed a wind farm project in north Canadian County made its most aggressive move yet in an attempt win over the community. But after hosting two public information sessions in Okarche and Piedmont last week, Apex Wind Energy was left with the assurance that many in the Piedmont community still don’t want wind turbines built anywhere near them. Opposition to a wind farm project proposed between Piedmont and Okarche has been present ever since . . .
Apex Wind Energy holds public meetings about planned Kingfisher wind farm
OKARCHE — A planned wind farm in northern Canadian County and southern Kingfisher County is dividing neighbors between Okarche and Piedmont. Apex Wind Energy Inc. plans to begin construction of its Kingfisher wind farm later this year. The 300-megawatt project would have about 120 turbines and generate enough electricity to power 100,000 homes. The company held an information session Tuesday evening in Okarche. Another is planned for 5:30 p.m. Thursday in Piedmont at the First United Methodist Church. Apex has . . .
Stripped of its intent, wind energy moratorium bill passes Senate
A bill filed that would halt the construction of wind turbines west of Piedmont passed the Oklahoma Senate on Tuesday, but stripped of its title, the bill was changed to no longer address wind energy. The rest of this story is for Piedmont Plus subscribers online. Please login or sign up for a new account. [rest of article available at source]
Concerns discussed at meeting
Woodward, Okla. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) returned to Woodward on Monday to gather more public input on the proposed Plains & Eastern Clean Line transmission line project. Through the Plains & Eastern project, the Houston-based Clean Line Energy is proposing to build high voltage direct current electric transmission line with the capacity to deliver around 3,500 megawatts from wind farms and other power sources in the Oklahoma Panhandle to connect with the Tennessee Valley Authority near Memphis, . . .
