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.
Energy company, Department of Defense extend deadline for wind farm mitigation plan
HINTON, Okla. –A deadline for a mitigation plan for a proposed wind farm near Hinton has been extended a fifth time. Last month, Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter announced an agreement between NextEra Energy Resources and the Oklahoma Strategic Military Planning Commission to halt construction of a wind farm at the moment. Officials say the wind farm was being constructed along a route of airspace used by the United State Air Force for training. Now, the Federal Aviation Administration will . . . Complete story »
Wind farm abandons tax avoidance tactic that threatened school funding
BLACKWELL – Operators of a northern Oklahoma wind farm are abandoning a creative tax avoidance scheme that was drawing statewide scrutiny because of its potentially damaging impact on Oklahoma school funding. Representatives of Rock Falls Wind Farm LLC told The Oklahoman on Friday that they will pay more than $2.2 million in property taxes this year that will be split among school districts and other governmental entities in Kay and Grant Counties. Company executives decided to drop their claim that the . . . Complete story »
EDF to reverse Rock Falls Wind Farm property tax appeal
Energy company EDF Renewables intends to reverse its controversial Rock Falls Wind Farm bond agreement that had complicated school financial situations for northern Oklahoma districts, according to company representatives. The decision was made after an Oct. 24 meeting with school superintendents and will likely preserve revenues for those districts. “The conversation with the superintendents had an impact with us, and the message they delivered was received from our CEO to those working in the field,” EDF Renewables Senior Director of . . . Complete story »
Newkirk superintendent: Property tax battle ‘going to crush us’
Pending lawsuits over a northern Oklahoma wind farm’s property tax liability could have more than $1 million worth of implications for state education funding, according to Brady Barnes, superintendent of Newkirk Public Schools. But while the suits await action in court, leaders of Kay and Grant counties, the Oklahoma State Department of Education and a subsidiary of Électricité de France are attempting to strike some sort of agreement that would prevent what Barnes says could be a $550,000 impact on . . . Complete story »
Deadline for wind farm mitigation plan extended for a fourth time
OKLAHOMA CITY –A deadline for a mitigation plan for a proposed wind farm near Hinton has been extended a fourth time. Last month, Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter announced an agreement between NextEra Energy Resources and the Oklahoma Strategic Military Planning Commission to halt construction of a wind farm at the moment. Officials say the wind farm was being constructed along a route of airspace used by the United State Air Force for training. Now, the Federal Aviation Administration will . . . Complete story »
Deadline for Hinton wind farm mitigation plan extended for a third time
OKLAHOMA CITY –A deadline for a mitigation plan for a proposed wind farm near Hinton has been extended a third time. Earlier this month, Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter announced an agreement between NextEra Energy Resources and the Oklahoma Strategic Military Planning Commission to halt construction of a wind farm at the moment. Officials say the wind farm was being constructed along a route of airspace used by the United State Air Force for training. Now, the Federal Aviation Administration . . . Complete story »
Deadline for NextEra wind farm mitigation plan extended again
OKLAHOMA CITY –A company will have a little more time to reach an agreement on a mitigation plan so a proposed wind farm near Hinton can move forward in the future. Earlier this month, Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter announced an agreement between NextEra Energy Resources and the Oklahoma Strategic Military Planning Commission to halt construction of a wind farm at the moment. Officials say the wind farm was being constructed along a route of airspace used by the United . . . Complete story »
9 Investigates: wind farms and radar interference
MINCO, Oklahoma – Ray Clifton has been tending the garden at his home in rural Caddo County since well before any wind turbines started going up nearby. And when, at first, they did come, he didn’t sweat it. “It’s like most things,” Clifton said in a recent interview, “you don’t know what’s going on at the time. It’s not a big deal, it’s just progress.” But Clifton’s learned that progress can have consequences, like wind turbines that get in the . . . Complete story »
AG allows more time for wind farm plan
The state will extend the deadline for NextEra Energy Resources and the Department of Defense to reach an agreement on a mitigation plan regarding a wind farm near Hinton that is along a route of airspace the military uses for training. Attorney General Mike Hunter said the original deadline to have a mitigation plan was Monday. However, Hunter has agreed to extend the deadline through Oct. 22 to allow for more time to work toward a resolution. The attorney general . . . Complete story »
Paths of pilots: Wind farm work stoppage protects Oklahoma’s No. 1 asset
A standoff in the high plains has a happy ending – for now. Wind farm construction is now halted along a route of airspace the Air Force uses for training to allow the Department of Defense to complete a mitigation plan. In an agreement between NextEra Energy Resources and Oklahoma Strategic Military Planning Commission, turbine construction will pause pending a new determination of no hazard from Federal Aviation Administration in the project areas west of the town of Hinton, which is . . . Complete story »
