March 9, 2024
Oklahoma

Oklahoma landowners exploring what can be done to prevent turbines being built near their homes

KOCO | Mar 8, 2024 | Kolby Terrell | koco.com

A group of Oklahoma landowners are organizing to fight wind turbines being built near their homes.

A view in Lincoln County could be changing soon, and the people who live there aren’t too happy about it as the trees could one day be wiped out and replaced with wind turbines.

“If we want to preserve Oklahoma’s farmland and ranchland, we have got to take a strong look at this,” Saundra Traywick said.

Two private companies say they’re filling a clean energy “void” in part of Lincoln County. A group of landowners who live there are exploring what they can do to stop them.

“I’ve been on this property where we stand 30 years, and we’ve built it up,” Robbie McCommas said. “And we want to leave something to the generations coming after us.”

Apex Clean Energy left letters for landowners and has been recruiting them to their cause for months.

One of those projects is the Sandstone Hills Wind Project.

“The letters came to specific neighbors that are in what they call a target area,” Jeff McCommas said.

Some landowners told KOCO 5 that a recent meeting to get involved left them blindsided.

“The meeting happened about two weeks ago. To my knowledge, that has been the first acknowledgment for the wind energy to move in and do these turbines,” Jeff McCommas said.

The company plans to put 80-100 turbines in the area, and residents say the companies already have some owners on their side. The project’s website says it’ll bring in tax money and revenue for landowners, but not everyone is sold.

“I think this will con a lot of people into selling future value for current money,” Barry Miller said.

So, the landowners are planning a meeting for everyone against turbines to get ready and find a way to stop companies from setting up shop.

“We want to be able to take that petition to the county commissioners to let the county commissioners know that it’s time that you guys offer the help that you can,” Jeff McCommas said.

KOCO 5 reached out to the companies but did not hear back. The community meeting the landowners are organizing is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on March 12 at the Chandler Interpretive Center.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2024/03/09/oklahoma-landowners-exploring-what-can-be-done-to-prevent-turbines-being-built-near-their-homes/