Corporation Commission Sends Wind Study Recs To Legislature
Oklahoma Corporation Commission sends wind study recommendations to Legislature
By Paul Monies
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission has sent its recommendations on wind farms to the Legislature, the product of several hearings and hundreds of comments from the public and industry over siting, notification and decommissioning.
Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa, requested the inquiry after several pieces of wind-related legislation failed in last year’s session.
The Corporation Commission’s public utility division recommended the commission not get involved in the placement of wind farms, saying it was better left to local authorities and other agencies already involved in the siting process.
“There is not a one-size-fits-all siting template that would be applicable and/or appropriate across the entire state,” the report said.
The commission’s public utility division said it will develop rules on the decommissioning of wind farms, fleshing out the requirements already enacted under the Oklahoma Wind Energy Development Act in 2011. The same rule making will include discussion of changes to current industry practices for the notification of nearby property owners about proposed wind projects.