Bills advance that would add regulations to Oklahoma's wind energy industry
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Two bills working their way through the legislature could impact where wind turbines can be built in Oklahoma.
Senator Grant Green, R-Wellston, filed the bill which advanced through the Senate floor on March 27. It would prevent wind turbines from going up a quarter of a mile from a neighboring property owner’s home.
"I tried to find a balance for the neighbors and the property rights of the guy that bled and sweat and cried tears to pay for their mortgages,” said Green.
Other lawmakers argued it would take away property rights, not protect them, simply because a neighbor did not like what they were seeing out their front door.
"In the future do I need to worry about someone moving into, buying five acres close to my operation? Do I need to worry that maybe whoever buys that might not like my black cows?" said Senator Casey Murdock, R-Felt.
Green’s bill is similar to another piece of legislation that advanced through the House. Representative Trey Caldwell, R-Faxon, filed a bill that would keep wind turbines at least a half a mile from someone’s home or dwelling.
"If we're addressing, you know, a safety concern, certainly if you want to sit back from a dwelling that makes sense,” said Mark Yates, Oklahoma Power Alliance Executive Director.
"This seems to be more of we're regulating towards esthetics. We just don't want to see something. And so therefore we're placing some additional regulation."
Yates said both bills could handcuff the state’s energy industry in the future.
"We can't stifle development. We need natural gas, we need renewables. we need to make sure that we're cautious so that we're not displacing our competitive advantage that we have today with all of these resources," said Yates.
Both bills passed respective floors and advance to the opposite side for consideration.