Wind Power News: Oklahoma
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They are the products of the organizations or individuals noted and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.
Appeals court reverses judge’s decision allowing wind developers to dig on Osage land
A U.S. appellate court sided with the Osage Nation in a years-long dispute regarding whether the development of a wind farm on tribal land violated federal mineral regulations. The Denver-based 10th District Court of Appeals issued an order Monday reversing a 2015 court ruling that protected the Osage Wind project, which includes 84 turbines spread across about 8,400 acres in Osage County. The Osage Nation has long opposed the development, arguing that wind farming spoils the prairie’s natural beauty and . . .
New wind farms cause friction in the sky over military flight routes
The hulking C-17 is the pack mule of the United States military, designed to lift and transport troops, tanks and even helicopters. Every American C-17 pilot is trained at the Altus Air Force Base in southwestern Oklahoma, where flight instructor Adam Bergoo says a key lesson is how to fly close to the ground. “That’s one of our military missions, is to fly low-level, because that basically reduces the risk of detection, and getting shot at by the bad guys,” . . .
McBride: Time for wind economic participation
The wind industry is the only industry not to pay a production tax when harnessing the state’s natural resources. The most prominent is the gross production tax levied on oil and natural gas, but other industries that benefit from Oklahoma’s bountiful resources, like mining of lead, gold or silver, all pay a production tax. The energy created from the wind turbines that have proliferated on the Oklahoma horizon has a value and the only benefactor has been the international wind developers who have seized on generous government subsidies to build billion-dollar businesses.
PSO Wind Catcher case should proceed, regulatory judge says
A preapproval case for Public Service Co. of Oklahoma’s Wind Catcher project will go ahead after an administrative law judge ruled Thursday against a motion to dismiss the case brought by Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter. Without comment, Corporation Commission Administrative Law Judge Mary Candler denied the attorney general’s motion in a hearing Thursday morning. However, Candler approved another motion to have PSO pay for witness fees and other case costs for the attorney general’s office, which represents consumers in . . .
Wind farms or tax farms?
Some of you might wonder about the level of the federal tax subsidies Public Service Co. of Oklahoma and other wind developers will receive for the Wind Catcher Wind Farm (“PSO seeks quick approval for wind farm,” Aug. 1) The taxpayer subsidy to PSO for Wind Catcher will total about $200 million per year. That’s $5 billion over the 25-year life of the project, 125 percent of the total cost of ($4 billion) of the project. (You can arrive at . . .
AEP’s giant wind farm facing opposition in Oklahoma
American Electric Power Company Inc.’s planned mega wind farm in Oklahoma isn’t blowing away the state’s top legal official. Oklahoma’s attorney general wants the state’s utility regulators to dismiss a case from the Oklahoma subsidiary of the Columbus power company that seeks permission to build the country’s biggest single-site wind farm, according to the Oklahoman. AEP and its Oklahoma subsidiary, Public Service Co., hasn’t proven a need for new power generation and didn’t follow competitive bidding rules, the attorney general . . .
Oklahoma AG seeks dismissal of PSO Wind Catcher case
Oklahoma’s attorney general wants state regulators to dismiss a preapproval case for Public Service Co. of Oklahoma’s Wind Catcher project, saying the utility didn’t follow competitive bidding rules and hasn’t shown a need for new generation. The motion, filed late Friday by Attorney General Mike Hunter’s public utility division, said if the commission doesn’t dismiss the case, it should make PSO pay for the attorney general’s costs to represent Oklahoma consumers in the case. “The Attorney General’s full participation is . . .
Osage Nation challenge to wind farm developments denied in district court
PAWHUSKA – A judge has denied an Osage Nation challenge to a 2011 Osage County ordinance that allowed wind developments to be built. With tribal officials and attorneys unable to point to harm caused by a specific pending project, Osage County District Judge Robert Haney ruled Tuesday that the Osage Nation did not show sufficient standing to challenge the validity of the county’s wind energy ordinance. Citing insufficient notice of the ordinance changes, the tribe had filed for a declaratory judgment . . .
Osage Nation loses attempt to block county’s wind development ordinance
The Osage Nation continues to fight wind energy developments in northeastern Oklahoma. The tribe believes the projects cause harm to its religious practices, the environment and its mineral rights in Osage County. But the courts haven’t been too kind to a series of lawsuits filed by the tribe. In the latest setback, the tribe lost an attempt to block the county’s wind development ordinance due to lack of standing, The Tulsa World reported. The judge handling the case said the . . .
PSO wants quick approval from Oklahoma regulators on $4.5 billion wind, transmission project
A $4.5 billion wind farm and transmission line announced last week by Public Service Co. of Oklahoma and a sister utility needs a quick answer from Oklahoma regulators so the project can fully qualify for federal tax credits for renewable energy. The Tulsa-based electric utility filed an application Monday asking for preapproval to recover PSO’s share of costs from the Wind Catcher project in the Oklahoma Panhandle when it goes in service by the end of 2020. PSO wants a . . .
