OKLAHOMA CITY – Reps. Tim Turner, RKinta, and Neil Hays, R-Checotah, today applauded the passage of legislation in the House that would create setback requirements for industrial wind turbines in affected counties.
House Bill 2751 is a culmination of hours of negotiations between people on both sides of the issue – advocates of setbacks and those who argued the issue is about preserving private property rights.
“We appreciate the work that went into the bill, and we will continue to protect our districts and our constituents,” Turner and Hays said in a joint statement. “This Is the first step in a forward direction giving local control back to our counties and setting a state standard.”
HB2751 would create setback requirements of 1.5x the windmill tower height from the point on the property line of the windmill parcel nearest to the point on a property line of any parcel of real property affected; or 1/2 nautical mile away from the nearest point of a “dwelling,” which is defined as a structure that is occupied by at least one person for at least half of the year in counties with a population density greater than 8.5 people per square mile, and those with an average wind speed of less than 9.5 miles per hour.
HB2751 now moves to the State Senate where it is authored by Ally Seifried, R-Claremore.
Both Hays and Turner previously successfully opposed a proposed wind farm project in McIntosh County on behalf of the citizens of House Districts 15 and 13 and the surrounding area who voiced concerns about the potential impact the project would have had on their local communities. The project was stopped.
Both Turner and Hays said the issue goes beyond the aesthetics of wind turbines and instead represents their interests in protecting their communities, which overwhelmingly do not support the turbines. They listed potential effects on water resources, infrastructure, public safety, wildlife and tourism as being among the biggest concerns.
Again, they voiced approval of the passage of HB2751 and vowed to keep working to protect their constituents going forward.
Rep. Tim Turner, a Republican, represents House District 15 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes Haskell County and portions of McIntosh, Muskogee, Le Flore and Pittsburg counties. Rep. Neil Hays, a Republican, Represents House District 13 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes Mc-Intosh, Muskogee and Wagoner counties.
