Article
WIND FARMS: Planned Pittsburg County locations raise against community concerns
KJRH News|Douglas Braff|Dec 12, 2024
In the past few years, wind energy companies have “come sweepin’ down the plain” into Oklahoma, while facing fierce headwinds from locals all around. In recent months, Pittsburg County residents have been up in arms about planned wind farms, especially about how they may impact Eufala Lake. 2 News Oklahoma’s Douglas Braff listened to their concerns and brought them to local officials and a company involved.
In the past few years, wind energy companies have “come sweepin’ down the plain” into Oklahoma, while facing fierce headwinds from locals all around. In recent months, Pittsburg County residents have been up in arms about planned wind farms, especially about how they may impact Eufala Lake. 2 News Oklahoma’s Douglas Braff listened to their concerns and brought them to local officials and a company involved.
PITTSBURG COUNTY, Okla. — In the past few years, wind energy companies have “come sweepin’ down the plain” into Oklahoma, while facing fierce headwinds from locals all around.
In recent months, Pittsburg County residents have been up in arms about planned wind farms, especially about how they may impact Eufala Lake.
2 News Oklahoma’s Douglas Braff listened to their concerns and brought them to local officials and a company involved.
Hundreds of wind turbines are planned to be built there and in neighboring McIntosh County beginning around 2030, with companies already making deals with local property owners.
Some significant concerns locals have ranged in topics from the local economy allegedly seeing no benefit, upkeep of the …
... more
[truncated due to possible copyright]
PITTSBURG COUNTY, Okla. — In the past few years, wind energy companies have “come sweepin’ down the plain” into Oklahoma, while facing fierce headwinds from locals all around.
In recent months, Pittsburg County residents have been up in arms about planned wind farms, especially about how they may impact Eufala Lake.
2 News Oklahoma’s Douglas Braff listened to their concerns and brought them to local officials and a company involved.
Hundreds of wind turbines are planned to be built there and in neighboring McIntosh County beginning around 2030, with companies already making deals with local property owners.
Some significant concerns locals have ranged in topics from the local economy allegedly seeing no benefit, upkeep of the turbines, and public safety. However, the most common one was preserving Eufaula Lake’s views and fears of turning off tourists.
2 News spoke with Joseph Smietanksi, who lives near Eufaula Lake. He moderates a 600-person public Facebook group called “No Wind Turbines Pittsburg County.”
Smietanski is not a big fan of what he said would be the tallest turbines in the United States.
“When you start thinking of up to 900 turbines, all 90 feet taller than the St. Louis arch,” he told us, “that will radically change the lake life experience for residents here, people who vacation here, who build lake homes here.”
“You have to ask yourself, ‘Would people still see Lake Eufaula as a destination when it's surrounded by these industrial electricity generation structures?’” he added.
2 News shared residents’ thoughts with Stealhead, one of the companies planning wind farms throughout the region.
All Senior Regional Manager Allie James had to say regarding any impact on the lake views was simply, “The ‘Bluegrass Breeze Wind Project’ is west of Highway 69 in Pittsburg County. We’re not developing this project on Eufaula Lake.”
We also took Smietanski's and others' concerns to the Pittsburg County Commissioners’ chairman, Ross Selman (District 3).
While he had little opinion on tourism and preserving the views, his main concern is government overreach.
“I don't know if it would affect ... [tourists] wanting to be here or not,” Selman said. “But I think for the local people, you ain't going to keep these folks out of the water. I'm not getting on no one's property and telling 'em what they can and can't do,” he emphasized.