Here’s another problem with wind farms. They are too tall. They are so tall, in fact, that they interfere with military aviation training with bases in Oklahoma.

Safety Oklahoma

"The turbine sits in the cornfield, but the blade broke off and flew about 100 yards north of the turbine ," recalls Carpenter. "It flattened the corn, destroyed it." Since the May 31 incident, the turbine's blade has been replaced by General Electric and it has resumed to normal operations.

Safety Structural Failure Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission head says wind farms in western Oklahoma are having a negative impact on military flight training.

Safety Oklahoma

On a sunny day last summer, in the middle of a vast cornfield somewhere in the large, windy middle of America, two researchers from the University of Tulsa stepped into an oven-hot, elevator-sized chamber within the base of a 300-foot-tall wind turbine. They’d picked the simple pin-and-tumbler lock on the turbine’s metal door in less than a minute and opened the unsecured server closet inside.

General USA Oklahoma

No details have been released yet as to what caused a wind turbine to collapse Monday afternoon east of Hooker, Okla.

Safety Structural Failure Oklahoma

The broken blade sits about 100 yards behind the wind turbine, crushing all of the corn that surrounds it. The cornfield belongs to Ken Carpenter, who declined to comment. Cleaning up the blade and wind turbine could take anywhere from a couple of weeks to two months, and will involve bringing a large crane near the field to take the blade off, McIntyre said. 

Safety Structural Failure Oklahoma

U.S. District Judge Stephen P. Friot ruled on a narrow jurisdictional issue on whether Minco Wind IV LLC and Minco V LLC had the standing to challenge a town ordinance. Hinton's Board of Trustees adopted an ordinance in January declaring wind project equipment within two miles of the town to be a public nuisance.

Legal Oklahoma

Construction is moving forward on a more-than $400 million wind farm project, despite the scheduled sunset of state wind tax credits.

General Oklahoma

Events in Oklahoma have raised concerns over states’ readiness to continue subsidy support in an era of budget cutbacks and fiscal constraints, while potential trouble is also brewing in California, Iowa and Texas, suggesting that the industry’s ability to lobby effectively on crucial issues will soon be put to the test.

Taxes & Subsidies USA Oklahoma

A simple way to make up some of that shortfall is for wind developers to pay sales tax on their purchases, just like nearly everyone else in Oklahoma. Each new wind turbine, which is manufactured somewhere else and shipped into Oklahoma, could net the state about $90,000 in sales tax revenue.

Taxes & Subsidies Oklahoma

In a 5-1 decision, the justices overturned a lower court’s dismissal of the case, which argues that the Osage County Wind Energy Ordinance should be thrown out because county commissioners allegedly failed to give proper public notice before approving it.

Legal Oklahoma

The world’s biggest wind-turbine company has filed lawsuits against five rural governments because they stand between it and millions in tax subsidies. 

General USA Michigan Oklahoma Ontario Missouri

HINTON, Oklahoma - Homeowners in Western Oklahoma are divided over wind energy. While many property owners are leasing their land for wind turbines, others are trying to escape their shadow.

Impact on People Property Values Oklahoma

The Osage Nation strongly opposes development of industrial wind farms. I write this column to explain our view from the spiritual perspective of our culture but also from the view of economics, health concerns, quality of life and the impact on natural habitats and wildlife.

General Oklahoma

The announcement comes a day after Gov. Mary Fallin signed House Bill 2298, which ends the zero-emissions tax credit for wind projects July 1, more than three years ahead of its previous sunset date.

General Oklahoma

House Bill 2298, by Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, and Senate Pro Tem Mike Schulz, R-Altus, sets the expiration date at July 1 rather than allowing it to continue until 2021.

Taxes & Subsidies Oklahoma

While wind energy is clean and renewable, it creates relatively few permanent jobs and most of the power (and the profits) go out of the state. ...The petroleum industry pays taxes on the energy it produces and creates an enormous number of jobs and wealth inside the state. 

Taxes & Subsidies Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Senate has overwhelmingly voted yes on a bill that would move up the sunset date of the state’s wind power tax credits to July 1.

Taxes & Subsidies Oklahoma

Legislation to cut off the subsidy on July 1 passed the Oklahoma House and a Senate committee, potentially saving the state billions of dollars, but lawmakers still must contend with an army of pro-wind lobbyists before casting the decisive votes. Our state has many other needs, from education to infrastructure repairs, more important than subsidizing the mature wind industry. Please reach out to your legislators to make sure they make the right decision on this critical issue.

Impact on People Impact on Economy Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA CITY — Legislation that rolls back a state tax credit for the wind energy industry has been approved by an Oklahoma Senate panel.

Energy Policy Oklahoma