Proposed wind farm could lead to county zoning
Opposition to two proposed wind farm projects in Lincoln County could lead to a vote on county-wide zoning in order to stop them.
At the Lincoln County Commissioners Meeting on Monday, Mar. 18, the commissioners set aside 30 minutes to discuss the topic, allowing members of the public to speak. All the citizen speakers were against the proposed farms. Only one company - Apex Clean Energy - was present and addressed the commissioners.
The agenda item was for discussion only, meaning no action could be taken on what was discussed.
District 3 Commissioner Lee Doolen said the only legal way that the commissioners could limit or stop the wind farms is by zoning. However, he expressed caution as well. Currently, only three counties in Oklahoma have county zoning.
“If the county decides you don’t have, you need to have a well house, or you can’t park the tractors in the front yard, that is something that can happen with zoning, so it’s a double-edged sword,” Doolen said. “But if you guys can meet the standard of conditions to bring zoning in, then we will spend the money on having an election on zoning.”
Doolen told the gathered residents to submit a petition with signatures from at least 10 percent of the county’s registered voters. The petition must be typed, signed, include birthdates, and be verified by the election board. Once that has been submitted, the commissioners can then call an election on zoning.
A special meeting for the Lincoln County Commissioners has already been set for Tuesday, Mar. 26 at 6 p.m. Doolen said they will see if they can get a moratorium on wind and solar energy at the meeting, however currently he doesn’t know how long it will be. They are waiting to hear back from the district attorney.
Two companies - Enel Green Power and Apex Clean Energy - are seeking to start wind farms in the area. According to Enel Green Power’s website, their Cedar Run wind farm is planned for 40,000 acres and expected to produce 150 megawatts. It is located in Lincoln and Creek County.
Apex Clean Energy’s project - Sandstone Hills - is based completely in Lincoln County, according to Anna Richey, the senior public engagement manager. They are looking at up to 400 megawatts of power, which would require around 88 turbines. The area they are hoping to build in is about 11 by 17 miles, and north of Chandler. Richey said the plan is to begin operation by the end of 2028.
She said the company considers three factors when looking at a location - is there a wind resource, is there a need in the area for energy and can they transmit it if they produce it, and are people interested? With newer technology, turbines can produce the same amount of energy with less wind, making the county an ideal spot. She added that the Environmental Protection Agency approved a plan to exit a coal-fired power plant, meaning there will be an energy need in the area.
A power purchase agreement would go out later. The electricity could be sold to the utility directly or to a corporation but typically is distributed locally first. What is leftover is then put out onto the grid if the project is bought that way, Richey said.
Many Lincoln County residents have banded together into an organized group to stop the wind farm projects. A few hundred people filled the Rt. 66 Interpretative Center on Mar. 12 to share information on the risks of wind turbines. Enough attended the commissioners’ meeting on Monday, that it was moved to the lobby of the courthouse to accommodate everyone.
At both meetings, they expressed concerns over the safety risks for people living near wind turbines, as well as wildlife and livestock. Concerns were also raised about the potential risk to the Garber Wellington Aquifer, which Lincoln County sits on. The aquifer naturally contains high deposits of four heavy metals.
They also pressed the need to unite as a community to fight the wind energy companies.
“I think that we can band together. We can band together as a community,” said Kim Evans, a fifth-generation Lincoln County resident. “Educate yourself. Be aware of what your neighbors are doing. Everybody needs to be talking to everybody. We’re a community and we have an Oklahoma standard that we need to live up to.”
Tonya Jackson, a woman from Meeker, said, “I want to call the commissioners respectfully and yet firmly to act in your position to the full extent and use the power that you have been given that the county has given you. Interpose for us, please.”
Several, including Evans, asked for a moratorium on any wind or solar farm projects in the area for at least a year.