Opponents to confront Commissioners about wind project 

Concerned residents of Pittsburg County plan to attend the Pittsburg County Commissioners meeting Monday to discuss the installation of wind farms.

There is group of county residents on Facebook called No Wind Turbines Pittsburg County in opposition of the project that began between Red Earth Energy and Pittsburg County Commissioners in 2021. They are planning to meet with commissioners at their meeting Monday, Nov. 18, at 9 a.m. at the Pittsburg County Courthouse.

On their Facebook Event they have posted two past letters showing their audience the commissioners are in favor of the project.

District 1 Pittsburg County Commissioner Charlie Rogers wrote a letter to Firefly Holding, LLC, Feb. 13, 2023, in regards to “Letter support wind farm in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma” to accept “support on behalf of the Pittsburg County Board of Commissioners for the research and possible development of a 200-300 MW windfarm, a.k.a., South Canadian wind farm, in northwest Pittsburg County.” The letter shows that the commissioners support the development of sustainable energy and supports the revenue that will fund local school districts.

District 3 Pittsburg County Commissioner Ross Selman wrote a similar letter to Red Earth Energy, Inc., June 29, 2021.

In a 2021 report by the News-Capital, former District 2 Pittsburg County Commissioner Kevin Smith said, “A lot of folks don’t like the looks of them; a lot of folks do.” He said he’s not a fan of looking at wind turbines, but he thinks the benefits to the county, schools and landowners, outweigh his opinion of the visual aspects.

District 17 Representative Jim Grego wrote in a July 2023 editorial for the McAlester News-Capital, “I had a very good impromptu meeting with the field representative of Red Earth Energy. The field rep allowed me to ask a number of questions on a wide array of subjects, but mostly on the formation of several windmill farms in and around our district.”

“Their role is to secure landowner leases for the possible placements of wind turbines in an area from Kiowa to Haileyville. This is the first step in a multi-phase project, with the next step being conducting environmental and air space impact studies to determine if these windmills are even possible and feasible. This should take no longer than five years to complete.”

Opponents of the wind turbine farms say they are most concerned with the installation affecting the water supply and the turbines affecting the environment.

Tulsa television station KOTV covered the recent frustrations in McIntosh County where their residents were concerned with “noise, wildlife impact, and potential water contamination” as well.

Larry Newport is the President of Vivian Rural Water District #6. Newport says he hasn’t been able to get any answers about if they would damage the water supply.

“If they get into that aquifer, who knows,” Newport SAID. “If they crack it, or it starts draining, or if they contaminate it with the concrete they are going to be pouring, nobody knows.”

The Pittsburg County Commissioners will meet at the Pittsburg County Courthouse inside the County Commissioners Conference Room, Room 100B, at 115 E. Carl Albert Parkway.

Meetings are open to the public and people may address the commissioners regarding an item on the agenda. Residents must provide their name and address and to speak no more than five minutes.

Comments by the public on items not on the agenda cannot be acknowledged or discussed, but can be placed on an upcoming agenda for discussion and possible action.