New Law to Forbid Wind Farms in Oklahoma

[cannon_fodder]

A new bill that would put a moratorium on wind farms in Oklahoma east of I-35 breezed past the Senate 32-8.  It is an "emergency measure" meaning it would go into effect immediately.  No "new development, construction or installation of any wind energy facility" would be allowed until 2017. 

According to the World, this is because more study is needed.  According to an interview yesterday it is because the sponsor believes windfarms in regions rated "fair" for wind production are not profitable for wind farms.

What happened to free enterprise, property rights, and small government?  Big government is taking away land owners rights to lease property to wind farms while, at the same time, telling business owners they can't do something because the government thinks it will not be profitable for them?  And, for good measure, significantly hurting industry and job creation in Oklahoma (installing, running lines, and manufacturing components for wind farms is big business for many in Tulsa).  Not to mention renewable sources of energy draw in companies (Google would not be here without GRDA). 

I have to assume the real reason is NIMBY.  Some farm was supposed to go in near some Senators house.  Or some other lobby is against wind energy.  It just doesn't make sense (or is Obama in favor of wind power, so we have to be against it?).

As an interesting aside:  certain Native Tribes have been planning large scale wind farms in eastern Oklahoma.  It would be interesting to see the State of Oklahoma try to stop them from developing wind farms under an indian development corp on "indian land." 


Text of the bill:
http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2013-14%20ENGR/SB/SB1440%20ENGR.PDF

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/government/senate-oks-bill-to-create-wind-farm-moratorium-east-of/article_3bfb5bbe-2067-5440-a6f5-f80912653dab.html

To be fair, I don't think I'd want a giant wind turbine near my house.  But I also wouldn't want a hog farm, factory, off-road vehicles, high lines, oil and gas wells/ infrastructure or shooting gallery next to my quite country home.  But there are no proposed moratorium on those things.

[Conan71]

To be perfectly honest, I don't think I've seen a wind farm east of I-35.  The closest in I can think of is Clinton or Weatherford.  The whole reason the fair market has not tried to farm wind east of I-35 is because the wind is not as consistent as it is west of I-35.

What is it with our dumbass legislators.  If companies want to explore wind technology that could work in the eastern part of the state, why not let them?

Aside from the draw of the mountains or a beach somewhere, the Oklahoma legislature may be the sole reason I retire out of state.  What a bunch of idiots.

[Red Arrow]

Wind farm are not without consequences.  They are loud and kill eagles, hawks and other protected birds.  Wind farms need a permit to kill eagles.

[heironymouspasparagus]

None of the 3 of you to post so far is anywhere near naive enough to not understand what this is all about...but for others who may end up reading, just so everyone is on the same page and understands the reality about this - it's about oil.   

Really aren't that many oil wells out by Weatherford - not compared to Anadarko basin and eastern OK - so no one cares much about them there.  This is direct, real, cost-effective competition to oil (and coal for that matter) and so it must not be allowed to encroach.


Ok - reality minute over - back to our regularly scheduled Oklahoma legislative inanity/insanity.....
 

[Conan71]

None of the 3 of you to post so far is anywhere near naive enough to not understand what this is all about...but for others who may end up reading, just so everyone is on the same page and understands the reality about this - it's about oil.  

Really aren't that many oil wells out by Weatherford - not compared to Anadarko basin and eastern OK - so no one cares much about them there.  This is direct, real, cost-effective competition to oil (and coal for that matter) and so it must not be allowed to encroach.


Ok - reality minute over - back to our regularly scheduled Oklahoma legislative inanity/insanity.....
 

Uh, Weatherford is in the Anadarko Basin, one of the biggest natural gas plays in North America.  If anything, wind is direct competition to natural gas which is used in all plants not using coal or nukes to make electricity in this part of the country.

Wind power hasn't managed to put downward pressure on the cost of oil, if that were the case crude wouldn't have risen as wind farms were constructed over the last 20 years and currently be tracking $100/bbl.  Wind competes more directly with coal and natural gas, since those are the leading fuels used in electricity production.  Oil is used primarily for transportation.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Uh, Weatherford is in the Anadarko Basin, one of the biggest natural gas plays in North America.  If anything, wind is direct competition to natural gas which is used in all plants not using coal or nukes to make electricity in this part of the country.

Wind power hasn't managed to put downward pressure on the cost of oil, if that were the case crude wouldn't have risen as wind farms were constructed over the last 20 years and currently be tracking $100/bbl.  Wind competes more directly with coal and natural gas, since those are the leading fuels used in electricity production.  Oil is used primarily for transportation.

My bad...mind was thinking Woodward and reading/typing Weatherford....and yeah, I know it's also Anadarko - but more Shelf than Basin....
I see more windmills around Woodward than I do oil/gas wells now.... but they are bigger, so maybe have bigger visual impact...?

Wind won't affect price of oil/gas here for long time - we don't have near enough percent energy derived from wind/solar.  China demand is gonna have the big impact on upward pressure - probably take a big slowdown of their economy to bring oil down.  But copper reacted last week to their slowdown, so maybe this small oil change we are seeing is being affected by that, too.  The level we are at now - probably won't change much since our use is pretty inelastic.

[nathanm]

Wind energy facility shall not include a wind energy facility located entirely on property held in fee simple absolute estate by the owner of the wind energy facility.

That's current law. SB1276, if passed, will amend it to eliminate that provision, which would apply the regulations to any grid-tied wind system, including the new $25,000 per turbine remediation bond. The original act had several provisions that clearly exempted residential grid-tied systems. In other words, our esteemed Legislature is trying to make it difficult to impossible to build any new wind-powered generation here, even if you buy all of the land on which your farm is sited outright.

Funny how we have long accepted the right of the owners of subsurface mineral rights to pick a spot and drill a well pretty much wherever they like, regardless of how inconvenient it may be for the neighbors, but if someone puts up some wind turbines, that's a bridge too far. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wind turbines don't release known carcinogens in normal operation. I can't imagine they'd be louder than a drilling rig, either.

[heironymouspasparagus]

That's current law. SB1276, if passed, will amend it to eliminate that provision, which would apply the regulations to any grid-tied wind system, including the new $25,000 per turbine remediation bond. The original act had several provisions that clearly exempted residential grid-tied systems. In other words, our esteemed Legislature is trying to make it difficult to impossible to build any new wind-powered generation here, even if you buy all of the land on which your farm is sited outright.

Funny how we have long accepted the right of the owners of subsurface mineral rights to pick a spot and drill a well pretty much wherever they like, regardless of how inconvenient it may be for the neighbors, but if someone puts up some wind turbines, that's a bridge too far. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wind turbines don't release known carcinogens in normal operation. I can't imagine they'd be louder than a drilling rig, either.

It's all about the oil....

I am sitting about 600 ft from an operating rod pump that needs some grease on a bearing somewhere....every time through the pump cycle, the screech is very noticeable. 

[patric]

Biggest-Ever U.S. Wind Farm Suffers Blow From Oklahoma Judge

"An excuse of 'not enough time' for competitive bidding is not sufficient."
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-12/biggest-ever-u-s-wind-farm-suffers-blow-from-oklahoma-judge

[heironymouspasparagus]

Biggest-Ever U.S. Wind Farm Suffers Blow From Oklahoma Judge

"An excuse of 'not enough time' for competitive bidding is not sufficient."
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-12/biggest-ever-u-s-wind-farm-suffers-blow-from-oklahoma-judge

Windpower is not exempt from the same kind of cronyism afflicting oil.  IIRC, they are required to go through competitive bidding process unless there is a compelling reason to shortcut...which is the apparent gist of this ruling.  I bet if they went back and did the correct procedure - no issue.