December 6, 2012
Oklahoma

Wind farm stirs Piedmont controversy

Jerry Bohnen, Contributing Editor | mccarvillereport.com

Some residents near Piedmont want to block the development of a proposed $470 million wind farm and they have the support of one Canadian County Commissioner.

Commissioner Phil Carson has sided with those fighting the planned Canadian Hills Wind project proposed by Apex Wind Energy. The company wants to build the 300 megawatt wind farm along Northwest Expressway just outside the Oklahoma City limits. During a county commission meeting in El Reno this week, where opponents asked the commission to adopt a moratorium on wind farm construction, Carson said the wind turbines should not be east of Highway 81. That drew applause from the audience, according to the Yukon Review.

The project is already underway and will involve hundreds of wind towers. Realtor Pam Suttles is leading the opposition and contends the towers will lead to a distressed housing market in the area and also cause health problems for residents.

“There’s got to be a line drawn in the sand,”Carson said, but he’s not sure what the commission can legally do to stop the construction project.

Mark Goodwin, President of Apex defends the project and maintains it will generate significant economic benefits for the area. He contends it will provide $2.4 million a year in tax revenue and also fulfill the energy needs of nearly 100,000 homes.

Apex Wind Energy is based in Charlottesville, Virginia and was founded in 2009.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/12/06/wind-farm-stirs-piedmont-controversy/