Wind power under scrutiny [View all]

[unhappycamper]

http://www.fayobserver.com/news/business/wind-power-under-scrutiny/article_3ace05e1-5857-5c6c-aa87-2080dd18ceec.html



Wind turbines loom in the background as donkeys run through a pasture at the home of Tammy and Rick Huffstutlar in Calumet, Okla.

Wind power under scrutiny
Posted: Wednesday, October 1, 2014 4:23 pm
Associated Press

CALUMET, Okla. - A decade ago, states offered wind-energy developers an open-armed embrace, envisioning a bright future for an industry that would offer cheap electricity, new jobs and steady income for large landowners, especially in rural areas with few other economic prospects.

~snip~

But now that wind turbines stand tall across many parts of the nation's windy heartland, some leaders in Oklahoma and other states fear their efforts succeeded too well, attracting an industry that gobbles up big subsidies, draws frequent complaints and uses its powerful lobby to resist any reforms.

The tension could have broad implications for the expansion of wind power in other parts of the country.

"What we've got in this state is a time bomb just waiting to go off," said Frank Robson, a real estate developer from Claremore in northeast Oklahoma. "And the fuse is burning, and nobody is paying any attention to it."