The Oklahoma State Capital

Against the backdrop of dusk, slowly settling in over Crescent’s towering wind turbines, approximately fifty residents gathered inside Crosspointe Church, determined to confront the mounting challenges posed by the county’s expanding green energy developments.

The forum was a second, organized by the Facebook group, No Federal Transmission Corridors Logan County, a group formed to educate Logan County property owners about the harms caused by wind turbine farms and the green energy transmission lines targeting Logan County.

A visibly impassioned Hugh Platt of Abell Community told attendees that, in conversations with those who have signed leases with wind energy companies, he has heard: "This is the biggest mistake I have made in my life."

Platt noted that those who signed leases are afraid to speak up, explaining that a gag order is included and that signees lose their top surface rights.

"This is something you don’t want to touch. To me, there is no amount of money at all that can replace the natural beauty and scenery of our country that we have here. I hate to live here and see these things turning day and night and these lights flashing," Platt declared.

Platt encouraged residents to share copies of their contracts with him, pledging anonymity to anyone who comes forward.

CRESCENT OKLA, December 15th, 2024, Logan County farmer Hugh Platt speaks to a group of concerned Logan County property owners during a Crescent meeting while a panel of guest speakers looks on.

Host Dan Wedekind told attendees that the wind scheme is green socialism or crony capitalism by which the federal government takes money from taxpayers and redistributes it to the wealthiest people on the planet.

Wedekind advised property owners to seek legal counsel before signing any lease with wind energy developers. He credited a lawyer for helping him interpret the proposed lease and ultimately avoid an unfavorable agreement. Wedekind further explained that although leases typically specify a 20 to 25-year term, they often include additional embedded options, and landowners might not fully grasp the long-term implications of those provisions.

Wedekind described various safety issues, including blades traveling 180 miles per hour, blade collapses (including in Oklahoma), and fires.

Wedekind explained that other states enforce setback laws—requiring wind turbines to be built a certain distance from property lines—and suggested that Oklahoma should follow suit. He added that a key test for the Legislature would be whether it approves a mile-and-a-half setback.

"If they choose anything less than that, to protect rural Oklahomans, then they have told us what they think of us, and we need to tell them what we think of them."

Wedekind expressed his opposition to Senate Bill 2, by Logan and Lincoln County Senator Grant Green. That legislation would require a simple 1/4-mile setback, but Wedekind says the 1/4-mile setback is already current practice of the wind energy companies.

CRESCENT OKLA, December 15th, 2024, House District 33 State Representative Molly Jenkins partcipates in a panel along with Logan County Commissioner Charlie Meadows and Payne County Commissioner Rhonda Markum.

One legislator, newly elected Molly Jenkins—who represents eastern Logan County and large parts of Payne County—attended the meeting and she told attendees that prior to her election, she worked as a real estate broker, and she knows that the wind turbine farms will cause the value of property owners to decline. "Absolutely this is going to destroy your property value, no question about it," she stated.

Jenkins stated that she and fellow legislators intend to take a hard stance against the wind industry during the upcoming legislative session. She advised attendees to turn away any landmen who approach them and to contact her office immediately if they are threatened with eminent domain proceedings.

The group also heard from Logan County District 2 Commissioner Charlie Meadows. Meadows told attendees of his plan to present a resolution to the commission to criticize carbon re-capture pipelines. Meadows, who was defeated in August’s Republican primary by Guthrie-area resident Floyd Coffman, will represent the district in one final commission meeting on December 31st, before Coffman takes office. Meadows said that he had already attempted to get Logan County Clerk Troy Cole to put the resolution on the commission’s agenda, but she had not done so.

The County has been the target of three wind turbine farm deployments, including the Wagon Wheel Farm by alternative energy giant Invenergy. It also lies within the path of the controversial Cimarron Links Transmission line—another Invenergy project—which aims to carry wind-generated power from the Oklahoma Panhandle across the state, possibly through Logan County, into the Tulsa area. Invenergy is expected to use eminent domain to acquire land from those who refuse to participate in the plan.

Meadows and Logan County Commissioners Have Cooperated with Invenergy’s Wagon Wheel Project

The Wagon Wheel deployment—encompassing around 85 sites in northern Logan County—has been supported by multiple unanimous votes from the Logan County Commissioners. During a July 23, 2023 meeting, Invenergy’s Max Moore requested that the Commissioners enter into a road use agreement with the firm. District 1 Commissioner Mark Sharpton appeared to express reservations but agreed to support the plan—if District 3 Commissioner Monty Piercy was in favor. Piercy affirmed his support, prompting Sharpton to make the motion, which Meadows seconded.

Moore had met with Meadows prior to the meeting.

Earlier, on July 14, 2023, County Emergency Management Director Steven Haga informed commissioners that Invenergy would be donating $10,000 to the county for equipment.

In subsequent commission sessions, the commission both ratified the road use agreement and approved road crossing permits for Invenergy’s project. However, Meadows had to split his vote—half "aye," half "nay"—because the item combined permits for both Cox Communications and Invenergy’s Wagon Wheel. Meadows opposed the Cox Communications permits but supported the Wagon Wheel proposals for Invenergy.

The No Federal Transmission Corridors Logan County group’s next meeting is set to take place at the State Capitol on January 7th, when legislators return to the building to officially elect leadership positions. Group members are encouraged to rally from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

MORE: Logan County Strikes Agreement with Monumental Wind Turbine Project.