September 29, 2018
Texas

Wind energy will be topic of Monday night forum in Brownwood

Steve Nash | Brownwood Bulletin | Sep 29, 2018 | www.brownwoodtx.com

For the second time in a week, a forum will be held in Brownwood on the controversial topic of wind farms.

The forum will be from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Adams Street Community Center.

According to the Facebook page Save South Brown County:

Concerned landowners and residents will join policy experts from Texas Public Policy Foundation to discuss wind development in Brown and Coleman counties. The event will cover how wind projects are developed, how the government subsidizes them and what residents can do to get involved in the process.

The Facebook page is“a group for South Brown County Texas landowners who would like information on the push to bring an industrial wind farm to south Brown county.”

Last Monday night, Brownwood High School’s Ag Issues Forum team hosted a forum on wind energy at the high school auditorium. The Ag Issues Forum team has chosen wind energy as the topic of its fall competition.

Buddy Gieb, who owns property south of Bangs, said the intent of the forum is to “give everyone the facts so they can make their own decisions,” and he hopes for “a good civil discussion.”

The topic of wind farms and tax abatements has not come before the Brown County Commissioners Court, but the topic has been hot on social media.

Last week, Precinct 1 commissioner Gary Worley released a statement saying, “It is my understanding that the process of leasing property for wind turbines has begun in the southwestern part of Brown County. The Brown County Commissioners Court has no voice in this process as it is a property rights issue. It is up to each individual property owner whether they lease their property or not.

Commissioners Joel Kelton, Larry Traweek and Wayne Shaw said they concur with Worley’s statement.

“The only thing we have to do with it is the abatement,” Shaw said, adding he will “look real hard at the money it will bring” if the issue does come before the court.

Kelton said, “We haven’t seen any proposal. There is a lot of stuff we don’t know, haven’t seen, haven’t heard. We haven’t seen any particulars.”

The two candidates for Brown County judge in the November election have also commented on the issue.

Republican Party nominee Paul Lilly said in an earlier interview, “What an individual does with their own private property is their business if it’s outside city limits and it’s not in violation of health and safety code or anything like that.
“However, I am not in favor of the government subsidizing private investments with regard to the wind turbines. But again, if the turbine companies and the landowner reach an agreement amongst themselves, what they do is their own business. I am a staunch supporter of individual property rights. I don’t think the government should subsidize those.”

Write-in candidate Steve Fryar said earlier, “I don’t want them here.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2018/09/29/wind-energy-will-be-topic-of-monday-night-forum-in-brownwood/