October 3, 2018
Oklahoma

Windfarm construction halted near Hinton

By KFOR-TV and K. Querry | October 2, 2018 | kfor.com

OKLAHOMA CITY – Construction of a windfarm near Hinton has been halted.

On Tuesday, Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter announced an agreement between NextEra Energy Resources and the Oklahoma Strategic Military Planning Commission to halt construction of a windfarm at the moment.

Officials say the windfarm was being constructed along a route of airspace used by the United State Air Force for training. Now, the Federal Aviation Administration will complete an investigation to make sure there will be no hazards to anyone involved.

The OSMPC claims that the windfarm violates an amendment to the Wind Energy Development Act that took effect earlier this year. The changes to the law require a determination by the federal government that planned wind turbine construction has no military impact, or an approved mitigation plan from the Department of Defense, before a windfarm is constructed or expanded.

As part of the agreement between NextEra and the OSMPC, the attorney general’s office will not take legal action against NextEra while construction has stopped.

“We appreciate Attorney General Hunter’s good faith negotiations for the OSMPC and for helping protect one of the military’s most valuable assets,” said OSMPC Chairman Michael Cooper. “The airspace used for training is critical to our national defense and to the mission of our state and nation’s military installations. We thank NextEra for recognizing this and working with us to further enhance this mission.”

“In addition to being a national leader in providing clean, reliable energy, NextEra also strives to be a good corporate citizen,” said John DiDonato, Vice President of Renewable Development and Origination. “That means we are dedicated and committed to working with all stakeholders, community and state leaders when investing in energy infrastructure within states like Oklahoma. We are confident this process will strengthen our line of communication, leading to a better future for the partnership between the state and NextEra.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2018/10/03/windfarm-construction-halted-near-hinton/