Hinton wind farm construction delayed again

OKLAHOMA CITY – Attorney General Mike Hunter today announced a further extension for the Department of Defense (DOD) and NextEra Energy to reach a mitigation plan for a wind farm near Hinton that lies along an airspace route used for military training flights.

Construction on the wind farm began in summer but was ordered stopped in October. Since then NextEra and the Oklahoma Strategic Military Planning Commission (OSMPC) have been working to agree a mitigation plan with the DOD to resolve the issue. The new deadline to agree the plan is next Monday, December 10th.

The OSMPC contends the wind farm violates a recent amendment to the Wind Energy Development Act.

That amendment requires a determination by the federal government that planned wind turbine construction has no military impact. The company must have an approved mitigation plan from the DOD on file before a wind farm is constructed or expanded.

The company had submitted its original plans for the project back in 2016. Those plans were approved by the FAA at the time as presenting 'no hazard' to aviation. However that approval lay dormant until March of this year when NextEra submitted a revised development plan to the FAA.

The revised plan featured different turbines to the original concept and has yet to be given a 'no hazard' designation. Despite that the company began construction in summer based upon that new design. OSMPC interceded in October, construction was suspended and the current impasse began.

Until the matter is resolved NextEra may only proceed to construct those turbines already been approved by the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA).

Today’s announcement is the seventh time the deadline to reach an agreement has been postponed. The original deadline was October 15th. The new deadline is now next Monday, December 10th.

The attorney general is representing the OSMPC in the negotiations.

NextEra continues to decline requests for comment.