Testimonials
Hear from your neighbors and those who have first hand experience.
This is where I planned on raising my family…
My property has been in our family for over 80 years. We bought our farm from my nanny 5 years ago. We got married in the old barn. I had 2 babies in this home. This farm has been my life. This is where I planned on raising my family and passing it down to my children.
Three years ago people pulled up in fancy clothes and a nice car and started asking me about leasing to wind turbine companies. I was very stern when I told them we were not interested. Did that stop them?
NO.
They have continued to call, email, and text my husband and I. They have tried all the things they know to convince us. Why won’t we say yes? Well, the honest answer is because turbines are ugly. I didn’t move out to the middle of nowhere to look at them and have strange men or women I don’t know having access to my land where my kids and I roam. That was the main reason.
I’m against the wind turbines in general. They are not clean energy. It’s a land grab. I’ll stand by that. These companies are preying on our area thinking we should give up our land and our rights to it and they will throw some change our way.
They are not concerned about the collateral damage this will cause to our area.
Them coming to the area will be forcing my family to sell. I have to protect my kids’ and animals’ health and well-being. We will not live by them. We have spent almost 6 years pouring blood, sweat, and tears into our property. We started with land and the old barn. We spent years on the road to make more money to make this home our safe haven. I’m fighting to keep them away from our area.
I hope that our neighbors and surrounding communities can see through the lies and think past the promises of little money. This will affect our children and grandchildren. Let us think of them when we are talking to these companies.
Three years ago people pulled up in fancy clothes and a nice car and started asking me about leasing to wind turbine companies. I was very stern when I told them we were not interested. Did that stop them?
NO.
They have continued to call, email, and text my husband and I. They have tried all the things they know to convince us. Why won’t we say yes? Well, the honest answer is because turbines are ugly. I didn’t move out to the middle of nowhere to look at them and have strange men or women I don’t know having access to my land where my kids and I roam. That was the main reason.
I’m against the wind turbines in general. They are not clean energy. It’s a land grab. I’ll stand by that. These companies are preying on our area thinking we should give up our land and our rights to it and they will throw some change our way.
They are not concerned about the collateral damage this will cause to our area.
Them coming to the area will be forcing my family to sell. I have to protect my kids’ and animals’ health and well-being. We will not live by them. We have spent almost 6 years pouring blood, sweat, and tears into our property. We started with land and the old barn. We spent years on the road to make more money to make this home our safe haven. I’m fighting to keep them away from our area.
I hope that our neighbors and surrounding communities can see through the lies and think past the promises of little money. This will affect our children and grandchildren. Let us think of them when we are talking to these companies.
Kora Alcorn
Lincoln County, Oklahoma
I feel you are essentially devaluing your property..
I heard about the potential of wind turbines coming to Lincoln County when the story first broke. I had read about the disruption they caused with people’s lives elsewhere, and quickly decided I did not want them on or anywhere near my properties. Period!
I have not gotten an offer of a lease from any [wind energy companies], which surprised both me and some community folks that know the size and hilltop setting of our ranch. There is absolutely no way I would offer to have them on my property.
The reasons are numerous, as I feel you are essentially devaluing your property and greatly limiting the future use of your land, only for a promise of money. The potential loss of peace and quiet with noise and people on your property you cannot stop is far more than I will tolerate.
And for most, a 30-year contract with THEIR [wind energy company] ability to extend an additional 20 years, is in our lifetime, forever.
Imagine putting your property up for sale after signing such a lease. Then ask, “Just who would be willing to buy it?” Maybe only the lease holder?
We moved to Lincoln County over 20 years ago for the rural setting, closeness to bigger city services, yet far enough away for the small-town friendliness the local people greatly showed in our two test visits after looking at many areas to call home. I would surely hate to see that lost with an “…up to…” or possible other offer from anyone in the hopes of a small financial gain.
I only hope our fellow citizens realize how much this proposed plan would change the entire area.
I have not gotten an offer of a lease from any [wind energy companies], which surprised both me and some community folks that know the size and hilltop setting of our ranch. There is absolutely no way I would offer to have them on my property.
The reasons are numerous, as I feel you are essentially devaluing your property and greatly limiting the future use of your land, only for a promise of money. The potential loss of peace and quiet with noise and people on your property you cannot stop is far more than I will tolerate.
And for most, a 30-year contract with THEIR [wind energy company] ability to extend an additional 20 years, is in our lifetime, forever.
Imagine putting your property up for sale after signing such a lease. Then ask, “Just who would be willing to buy it?” Maybe only the lease holder?
We moved to Lincoln County over 20 years ago for the rural setting, closeness to bigger city services, yet far enough away for the small-town friendliness the local people greatly showed in our two test visits after looking at many areas to call home. I would surely hate to see that lost with an “…up to…” or possible other offer from anyone in the hopes of a small financial gain.
I only hope our fellow citizens realize how much this proposed plan would change the entire area.
Barry
Lincoln County, Oklahoma
The narrative for wind turbines being “Green” is completely false..
Part of my college path lead me towards obtaining a degree in wind turbine technology, and I never thought I would have to use what I learned to help fight a company that is proposing a commercial wind farm in my family’s backyard. One of the biggest takeaways from what I learned is that the narrative of wind turbines being “Green” is completely false. There is a constant need for petroleum products and bi-products to manufacture and maintain a commercial wind turbine farm, which in turn, is hypocrisy at its finest.
The area that we live in is not the ideal area for a wind farm when you take into consideration that our yearly average wind speed is 9 mph and most wind energy companies target areas that have a yearly average wind speed of +15 mph. Our terrain, the amount of woodlands, and the most important aspect that keeps our county from being ideal, is our population density. Most wind farm projects are proposed and constructed in less densely populated areas where only a handful of landowners own the property within the wind farm area. Lincoln county is more densely populated with numerous landowners that own smaller tracts of land. This will lead to major health and safety concerns in our county and the communities within.
The leases that these companies push are lengthy, hard to understand, and the terms can be binding for 30-50 plus years. Once signed, the landowner has no say in what the company can do in regard to turbine placement, access roads, sub-stations, O&M facilities …etc. They <wind energy company> do have to abide by the setback regulations but will place these in areas that best suite the company with no regards to what impacts they will have with the landowners. Non-disclosure agreements are very common in these leases, and it is also common to have verbiage that will bind the landowner to the next company’s terms and conditions if the wind farm is ever sold.
The money they tell landowners they “can” make each year is drastically inflated and is based upon the most efficient output capability of that specific turbine set by the manufacturer and the company’s ability to sell the power that is produced. If the turbines aren’t producing or the company can’t sell the power, then the landowner won’t get paid. If there is a catastrophic failure of a turbine and the company determines that it is too costly to fix, then the landowner will not receive any compensation for that turbine from that point forward. The company also has the right to leave the out of commission turbine as-is for the remaining years still left on the lease.
Wind farms aren’t the green, clean energy that we have been forced to believe. In reality, if these companies didn’t receive the government subsidies that they do, our county and communities wouldn’t be having to deal with this. Wind farms are a money and land grab that will always have a negative impact to the people, land and wildlife for generations to come.
The area that we live in is not the ideal area for a wind farm when you take into consideration that our yearly average wind speed is 9 mph and most wind energy companies target areas that have a yearly average wind speed of +15 mph. Our terrain, the amount of woodlands, and the most important aspect that keeps our county from being ideal, is our population density. Most wind farm projects are proposed and constructed in less densely populated areas where only a handful of landowners own the property within the wind farm area. Lincoln county is more densely populated with numerous landowners that own smaller tracts of land. This will lead to major health and safety concerns in our county and the communities within.
The leases that these companies push are lengthy, hard to understand, and the terms can be binding for 30-50 plus years. Once signed, the landowner has no say in what the company can do in regard to turbine placement, access roads, sub-stations, O&M facilities …etc. They <wind energy company> do have to abide by the setback regulations but will place these in areas that best suite the company with no regards to what impacts they will have with the landowners. Non-disclosure agreements are very common in these leases, and it is also common to have verbiage that will bind the landowner to the next company’s terms and conditions if the wind farm is ever sold.
The money they tell landowners they “can” make each year is drastically inflated and is based upon the most efficient output capability of that specific turbine set by the manufacturer and the company’s ability to sell the power that is produced. If the turbines aren’t producing or the company can’t sell the power, then the landowner won’t get paid. If there is a catastrophic failure of a turbine and the company determines that it is too costly to fix, then the landowner will not receive any compensation for that turbine from that point forward. The company also has the right to leave the out of commission turbine as-is for the remaining years still left on the lease.
Wind farms aren’t the green, clean energy that we have been forced to believe. In reality, if these companies didn’t receive the government subsidies that they do, our county and communities wouldn’t be having to deal with this. Wind farms are a money and land grab that will always have a negative impact to the people, land and wildlife for generations to come.
Eric
Lincoln County, Oklahoma
Our roads were destroyed by the industry and they took no responsibility..
I have 720 acres in the middle of the one of the largest wind energy farms in the US. I refused their contracts and so did my closest neighbors. Thank goodness. However we still have to look at them as far as the eye can see. There is an abundance of <research>material out there on lubricant usage, bird kill, noise etc., plenty to research.
My personal experience however is different, I guess. I have observed the changes in weather patterns and have numerous photos of storm splits around the wind turbines. I am 68 years ago and a fifth generation rancher and farmer, centennial farm owner, and have lived here my whole life with exception of living in Tulsa for 5 years. The weather changes here are not just incidental . We have always had times of rain and times of drought but in my almost three years of observations with turbines in place, the pattern has been changed.
We also have fewer birds, the last winters I’ve had fewer birds, no blue jays, and only a few cardinals. The company here claims to have an employee that drives around watching for eagles and if eagles are spotted they shut down that section. I am rather doubtful. We have eagles near the south Canadian river a mile from my residence and I have not seen the towers shut down and have not spotted as many eagles in the past two years. I’m no expert but I believe the birds move on, as they certainly can feel the change in air movement and updrafts.
I do not reside close enough to hear the turbines but my neighbors report they are noisy at night. Not to mention the red lights in every direction.
Our roads were destroyed by the industry and they took no responsibility. The economic impact was great for certain businesses but was short-lived .
I live here for a reason. Rural life. Farm and ranch life is in my blood. But my joy has been diminished. The ambience forever changed by an industry that has yet to prove itself.
Say NO to the turbines…
–
My personal experience however is different, I guess. I have observed the changes in weather patterns and have numerous photos of storm splits around the wind turbines. I am 68 years ago and a fifth generation rancher and farmer, centennial farm owner, and have lived here my whole life with exception of living in Tulsa for 5 years. The weather changes here are not just incidental . We have always had times of rain and times of drought but in my almost three years of observations with turbines in place, the pattern has been changed.
We also have fewer birds, the last winters I’ve had fewer birds, no blue jays, and only a few cardinals. The company here claims to have an employee that drives around watching for eagles and if eagles are spotted they shut down that section. I am rather doubtful. We have eagles near the south Canadian river a mile from my residence and I have not seen the towers shut down and have not spotted as many eagles in the past two years. I’m no expert but I believe the birds move on, as they certainly can feel the change in air movement and updrafts.
I do not reside close enough to hear the turbines but my neighbors report they are noisy at night. Not to mention the red lights in every direction.
Our roads were destroyed by the industry and they took no responsibility. The economic impact was great for certain businesses but was short-lived .
I live here for a reason. Rural life. Farm and ranch life is in my blood. But my joy has been diminished. The ambience forever changed by an industry that has yet to prove itself.
Say NO to the turbines…
–
JO
Custer County, Oklahoma
This is our place..
It’s only 20 acres. This is a portion of our hay field.
These <proposed project> turbines are 612 ft tall. We know they have a debris field up to 4.27 X’s their height. That’s just over 2500 ft. Our property isn’t even 2500 ft wide or long.
I ride and show horses. Two sides of my property belong to one owner who owns 160 acres. So that property forms an L around mine.
It takes 3 acres for 1 turbine. When you do the math, that is potentially 50 turbines that will surround me.
I’m trying to wrap my head around how I’ll ride with the constant hum and flicker of 50 wind turbines; how my life and safety will be affected living in the path of a debris field! Not around a debris field — Literally IN a debris field. How do I live in a space like that?
With the constant flicker of a shadow across my hay field, how will that affect the growth of my hay? Anyone’s crops really.
These are legitimate things that will impact me and anyone else who finds themselves in this situation. “How is this even legal?”, I continuously wonder to myself.
These <proposed project> turbines are 612 ft tall. We know they have a debris field up to 4.27 X’s their height. That’s just over 2500 ft. Our property isn’t even 2500 ft wide or long.
I ride and show horses. Two sides of my property belong to one owner who owns 160 acres. So that property forms an L around mine.
It takes 3 acres for 1 turbine. When you do the math, that is potentially 50 turbines that will surround me.
I’m trying to wrap my head around how I’ll ride with the constant hum and flicker of 50 wind turbines; how my life and safety will be affected living in the path of a debris field! Not around a debris field — Literally IN a debris field. How do I live in a space like that?
With the constant flicker of a shadow across my hay field, how will that affect the growth of my hay? Anyone’s crops really.
These are legitimate things that will impact me and anyone else who finds themselves in this situation. “How is this even legal?”, I continuously wonder to myself.
Sallie Stewart
Lincoln County, Oklahoma
Don’t be misled. Fight like hell.
I have recently found out about the turbine project going in near my home. We will have 11 to 12 turbines less than 1.5 miles from our home. However, some turbines are much, much closer. I found out about the project when our land was illegally trespassed and hundreds of trees destroyed. They had no permission, no easement, and no lease but took what they wanted. We tried to work with the developer of the project to come to a fair resolution and although they said they were going to make us a fair offer and that we would not have to do any work, we were lied to. The offer they made us was so ridiculously low it showed that they do not understand what rural Oklahoma is about or how important our trees and our land are.
There is absolutely no regard for our property, the wildlife, or our family. We have had to hire an attorney and are in the middle of a legal battle we never asked for. Since this happened I have started researching turbines, this project, and the company. I could go on and on about the way this company lies, twist the truth, or misrepresent the reality of what is taking place. They also chose not to show up to a meeting they were invited to have a discussion with those they have been hiding from.
I share this because most of our neighbors did not know anything about this project that has been in the works 5-10 years. Why was I the one to inform so many of them? The company is choosing not to communicate and the landowners who have signed leases have a gag order. From my research of other projects this seems to be a common practice.
Don’t be misled. Fight like hell. Think logically. And hold these companies to the same standard any other company should be held too. They need to be responsible, honest, and ethical!
There is absolutely no regard for our property, the wildlife, or our family. We have had to hire an attorney and are in the middle of a legal battle we never asked for. Since this happened I have started researching turbines, this project, and the company. I could go on and on about the way this company lies, twist the truth, or misrepresent the reality of what is taking place. They also chose not to show up to a meeting they were invited to have a discussion with those they have been hiding from.
I share this because most of our neighbors did not know anything about this project that has been in the works 5-10 years. Why was I the one to inform so many of them? The company is choosing not to communicate and the landowners who have signed leases have a gag order. From my research of other projects this seems to be a common practice.
Don’t be misled. Fight like hell. Think logically. And hold these companies to the same standard any other company should be held too. They need to be responsible, honest, and ethical!
Stacy Moore
Pontotoc County, Oklahoma
To say life has changed would be the understatement of my lifetime.
My name is Carrie March and I live with my husband and three sons in Northeast Missouri, specifically Schuyler County. We built our home in 2017 on my husband’s family farm. Fast forward to today, our home is now surrounded by a 175-wind turbine project composed of 500-foot turbines. The closest turbine to our home was installed 2100 feet away. We have 16 turbines within 1.8 miles on all sides and they continue out from there. We can see roughly 80 from our home. To say life has changed would be the understatement of my lifetime. We went from a quiet, rural setting, to an industrial zone overnight. Everywhere I look something is blinking or flashing and the noise, Oh! the noise. To try and describe what we are experiencing to someone that doesn’t live it is nearly impossible. I sat through many commissioners’ meetings here and listened to the wind reps discuss prediction models with our leaders. How at this speed, the noise would be this many decibel and on days they might be a little noisy the wind would be so strong people wouldn’t be sitting outside anyways. Anymore I just shake my head at that memory. Nothing about living amongst industrial turbines is predictable, especially predicting when we will be able to sleep. There are days the wind is less than 10 mph and they absolutely roar or days the wind is 20 mph and they just shut them off or they barely turn. The noise is nothing I could have ever have imagined or can now fully describe. Even the hundreds of videos I have taken at this point don’t come close to the reality of the true noise. There are nights we are woken up and nights we sleep but wake up utterly exhausted. Two of our sons have experienced bouts of severe headaches, one in particular seems to follow a pattern of higher turbine output. The other seems to show symptoms when they shut off after consecutive days of high output. Our youngest seems to deal the most with sleep disturbance. He wakes up frequently when they are on but isn’t necessarily woken up by audible noise. We are working on getting two of them moved into bedrooms in the basement to see if there is any improvement. I have had days where I struggle with dizziness, a pounding heart, and headaches are nearly a daily occurrence. As parents we know when something is different with our kids and it feels like something is very wrong.
At first, we were just completely in shock, maybe even in a bit of denial that this was our new normal. We lived through hell during construction. The road use agreement was entirely insufficient and it left us living in what I would describe as the Wild West. No roads were off limits. The county lost complete control. Roads were extensively damaged and we were left to foot the bill for vehicle repairs. There were numerous accidents involving construction vehicles and it felt like picking your poison when choosing a route to take. We were collateral damage. No one in our county government cared and there wasn’t anything anyone would do to help those of us living in the footprint. I would encourage the residents in your community to just move out of the area during construction if you choose to proceed. That is the only way to ensure your safety. We were defeated, frustrated, and so incredibly angry just in time for the turbines to go online. The noise hit our home and it felt like someone had cut us to our knees. It was beyond anything we had imagined. The longer they ran and the more that came online the more frustrated and angrier we became. We contacted the new owners of the project, Ameren, to complain about the noise. My husband and I stood in our driveway with two Ameren reps, asking if we could request the turbines be shut down at night if we’d had subsequent nights we couldn’t sleep. Their response was, “we are in compliance with all laws and ordinances and there is nothing we can do for you.” They are correct in their evaluation seeing as our commissioners refused to put any protections in place for residents here, especially nonparticipants. No setback restrictions, no noise ordinance, no property value guarantees, no decommissioning, no radar detection lighting systems, nothing. I’m sure the fact that all three had some level of conflict of interest had nothing to do with it. I sat in every meeting I could, asking them to protect my family, and at every turn they chose to sacrifice us instead.
The project has now been operational for just over 3 years, and we are trying to navigate how to leave. The legacy of this farm is not worth the sacrifice of our health, quality of life, and sanity. Our three boys have all said this is never a life they would choose to come back to so there is no legacy to continue. Watching my husband come to terms with leaving this place has been like watching the process of grief. Landowners that sign up for these projects and county leaders who do nothing to protect their residents will never fully grasp what they have taken from families like ours. My father-in-law passed away in December of 2018 and part of me is glad he never had to see this place like it is now. The money is very tempting, I do understand that, but the message communities send to their residents by allowing these projects to come in without sufficient protections, is that your quality of life is for sale. That the responsibility of elected officials to protect the health, safety, and welfare comes with conditions. If the price is right, it’s for sale. I ask you to listen to those in your community that will actually be subjected to the consequences of this wind project. It is easy for people to support something they are safe from the repercussions of.
I encourage you to look at the pictures of my home and ask whose property rights are being respected. Is it the landowners who don’t even live on the land their turbines are erected on near our home, or is it my family’s rights? The landowners have every right to sign away their farms with whomever they wish, but they do not have the right to impose on the use of their neighbors’ land. I still struggle with the fact there are people out there that would knowingly and intentionally do so. I’d rather go broke with dignity than subject my neighbors to harm for my financial gain. The compromise does exist but unfortunately, I have yet to see where it is to the liking of a wind developer. Their one focus is profit. Profit margins shrink when local and state governments start to protect their residents. Set the turbines back far enough from nonparticipating PROPERTY LINES and require a noise ordinance that details adherence. 2100 feet from a dwelling is not enough. To protect from audible noise alone, 1.5 miles from a dwelling would suffice. When you are asking people to go from a nighttime ambient noise level of 20db prior to construction, that then doubles or even triples as we have seen here, it is crucial to have in place how you will hold the wind company accountable. People deserve to be able to sleep. An average decibel reading is not sufficient for adherence. When we are woken up at night, it doesn’t help if the turbines quiet down during parts of the day. I think it is so important to always remember that the responsibility of elected officials is to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the people they represent, not ensure a wind company for their project. Choose the people over the money.
Present day, our rates have gone up twice in three years specifically due to the public utilities investment in renewables. One rate increase is specifically due to the fact they are killing so many endangered bats in this project they are forced to shut the turbines off at night 6 months out of the year. This is a BLESSING but not to our pocket books. They were warned before they built the project the endangered Indiana bats’ maternity colonies were here. They were even told this was the worst place in Missouri for a wind project in terms of endangered species but they built anyway. Now rate payers are forced to recoup their losses from having to turn the turbines off.
Just last week, April 2nd, 2024, our community was asked to vote for a bond for the school. The bond was voted down. I’m not sure if we will ever get the bond to pass which will mean huge cuts to programs and staff. An increase in tax revenue did come from the turbines for the school. This bond vote was to, hopefully, solve funding issues we face because the tax money from turbines comes with rules on how it can be spent. We were able to build a baseball field and some other capital improvements like signs. But, there are separate funds and operating expenses as well as staff pay that can’t come from the funds the wind money sits in. Capital investments come with raised insurance costs that are paid from funds separate from wind money. Visually it looks like our school has money, but in reality, we are nothing without local taxpayers. Our local newspaper quoted the superintendent at the time of the project being proposed as saying the wind project “is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow”. That has not played out to be true.
The relationships here are fractured. In some instances, completely destroyed. There is regret among many contract holders and deep hatred and animosity for the lives we are all now forced to live. Our community, the land here, and the fabric of our relationships will never be repaired to their original form. There are things that money just can’t buy; like the peace we once had, but these are definitely more examples of what money and wind energy can and will destroy.
At first, we were just completely in shock, maybe even in a bit of denial that this was our new normal. We lived through hell during construction. The road use agreement was entirely insufficient and it left us living in what I would describe as the Wild West. No roads were off limits. The county lost complete control. Roads were extensively damaged and we were left to foot the bill for vehicle repairs. There were numerous accidents involving construction vehicles and it felt like picking your poison when choosing a route to take. We were collateral damage. No one in our county government cared and there wasn’t anything anyone would do to help those of us living in the footprint. I would encourage the residents in your community to just move out of the area during construction if you choose to proceed. That is the only way to ensure your safety. We were defeated, frustrated, and so incredibly angry just in time for the turbines to go online. The noise hit our home and it felt like someone had cut us to our knees. It was beyond anything we had imagined. The longer they ran and the more that came online the more frustrated and angrier we became. We contacted the new owners of the project, Ameren, to complain about the noise. My husband and I stood in our driveway with two Ameren reps, asking if we could request the turbines be shut down at night if we’d had subsequent nights we couldn’t sleep. Their response was, “we are in compliance with all laws and ordinances and there is nothing we can do for you.” They are correct in their evaluation seeing as our commissioners refused to put any protections in place for residents here, especially nonparticipants. No setback restrictions, no noise ordinance, no property value guarantees, no decommissioning, no radar detection lighting systems, nothing. I’m sure the fact that all three had some level of conflict of interest had nothing to do with it. I sat in every meeting I could, asking them to protect my family, and at every turn they chose to sacrifice us instead.
The project has now been operational for just over 3 years, and we are trying to navigate how to leave. The legacy of this farm is not worth the sacrifice of our health, quality of life, and sanity. Our three boys have all said this is never a life they would choose to come back to so there is no legacy to continue. Watching my husband come to terms with leaving this place has been like watching the process of grief. Landowners that sign up for these projects and county leaders who do nothing to protect their residents will never fully grasp what they have taken from families like ours. My father-in-law passed away in December of 2018 and part of me is glad he never had to see this place like it is now. The money is very tempting, I do understand that, but the message communities send to their residents by allowing these projects to come in without sufficient protections, is that your quality of life is for sale. That the responsibility of elected officials to protect the health, safety, and welfare comes with conditions. If the price is right, it’s for sale. I ask you to listen to those in your community that will actually be subjected to the consequences of this wind project. It is easy for people to support something they are safe from the repercussions of.
I encourage you to look at the pictures of my home and ask whose property rights are being respected. Is it the landowners who don’t even live on the land their turbines are erected on near our home, or is it my family’s rights? The landowners have every right to sign away their farms with whomever they wish, but they do not have the right to impose on the use of their neighbors’ land. I still struggle with the fact there are people out there that would knowingly and intentionally do so. I’d rather go broke with dignity than subject my neighbors to harm for my financial gain. The compromise does exist but unfortunately, I have yet to see where it is to the liking of a wind developer. Their one focus is profit. Profit margins shrink when local and state governments start to protect their residents. Set the turbines back far enough from nonparticipating PROPERTY LINES and require a noise ordinance that details adherence. 2100 feet from a dwelling is not enough. To protect from audible noise alone, 1.5 miles from a dwelling would suffice. When you are asking people to go from a nighttime ambient noise level of 20db prior to construction, that then doubles or even triples as we have seen here, it is crucial to have in place how you will hold the wind company accountable. People deserve to be able to sleep. An average decibel reading is not sufficient for adherence. When we are woken up at night, it doesn’t help if the turbines quiet down during parts of the day. I think it is so important to always remember that the responsibility of elected officials is to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the people they represent, not ensure a wind company for their project. Choose the people over the money.
Present day, our rates have gone up twice in three years specifically due to the public utilities investment in renewables. One rate increase is specifically due to the fact they are killing so many endangered bats in this project they are forced to shut the turbines off at night 6 months out of the year. This is a BLESSING but not to our pocket books. They were warned before they built the project the endangered Indiana bats’ maternity colonies were here. They were even told this was the worst place in Missouri for a wind project in terms of endangered species but they built anyway. Now rate payers are forced to recoup their losses from having to turn the turbines off.
Just last week, April 2nd, 2024, our community was asked to vote for a bond for the school. The bond was voted down. I’m not sure if we will ever get the bond to pass which will mean huge cuts to programs and staff. An increase in tax revenue did come from the turbines for the school. This bond vote was to, hopefully, solve funding issues we face because the tax money from turbines comes with rules on how it can be spent. We were able to build a baseball field and some other capital improvements like signs. But, there are separate funds and operating expenses as well as staff pay that can’t come from the funds the wind money sits in. Capital investments come with raised insurance costs that are paid from funds separate from wind money. Visually it looks like our school has money, but in reality, we are nothing without local taxpayers. Our local newspaper quoted the superintendent at the time of the project being proposed as saying the wind project “is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow”. That has not played out to be true.
The relationships here are fractured. In some instances, completely destroyed. There is regret among many contract holders and deep hatred and animosity for the lives we are all now forced to live. Our community, the land here, and the fabric of our relationships will never be repaired to their original form. There are things that money just can’t buy; like the peace we once had, but these are definitely more examples of what money and wind energy can and will destroy.
Carrie March
Schuyler County, Missouri