September 11, 2019
Letters, Texas

Wind farms don’t belong in communities

Gainesville Register | September 10, 2019 | www.gainesvilleregister.com

We moved to Texas from Los Angeles when my husband decided to retire from the entertainment industry. We wanted to find an area in the country to have horses and peace. We chose Gainesville because of the beauty of the rolling hills and the quaint town. We found a property in the Era area and have had 15 beautiful years here. We have enjoyed volunteering and fund raising for various charities and love our ranch neighbors and friends and thrive on the view of Texas rolling hills and pastures.

Never did we imagine that a foreign-owned wind farm company would come into our area and plan on putting in 500 to 600-foot wind turbines a mile and a half from our property. They would be in our view from every angle of our porch. With the aviation lights blinking at night and the nauseating rotating of the blades, we realized our piece of heaven would deteriorate. If we wanted to be surrounded by high-rise buildings we wouldn’t be living in the country, we would be living in Dallas! We decided to leave, as much as it broke our hearts. However, we learned that we would have to disclose the wind farm when selling and who would want to buy a property with that looming in the horizon? We would never be able to get anywhere near our price even if someone was insane enough to buy.

I have had acquaintances say that they think the turbines are “attractive.” They speak of the ones in Muenster which are 250 feet and they have admitted they have not driven there at night when the red lights are blinking. Another friend who supports the idea of renewable energy, on passing by a wind farm outside of Amarillo at night, was shocked at the red lights blinking continually and said he could understand how anyone would not want these around. The point is: most wind farms are in areas that are not habited such as deserts and farm land that is flat and without nearby communities. That is where they belong, not in a community such as Era! My brother works for PG&E in California, and he told me that they were careful to build theirs in large uninhabited areas.

Now this company comes in and wants to build in a community and not only that, asks for tax abatements and wants us to pay for it. Thank you Era ISD and Muenster Hospital for denying them a tax abatement! I urge all the other tax entities to do likewise.

Jennifer Savidge Fuller, Gainesville

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2019/09/11/wind-farms-dont-belong-in-communities/