Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter has announced another deadline extension for NextEra and the Department of Defense (DoD) to reach a mitigation plan for a wind farm on a route airspace the military uses for training.
If the Federal Aviation Administration clears certain turbines, NextEra may proceed with construction only on those that are approved, says Hunter.
Construction on the company’s wind farm, located west of Hinton, was stopped last month after NextEra and the Oklahoma Strategic Military Planning Commission (OSMPC) agreed to work on a mitigation plan with the DoD to resolve the issue. The new deadline is next Monday, Nov. 12, following a previous deadline of Oct. 29.
The OSMPC contends the wind farm violates a recent amendment to the Wind Energy Development Act. According to Hunter, the changes to the law require a determination by the federal government that planned wind turbine construction has no military impact, or the company must have an approved mitigation plan from the DoD, before a wind farm is constructed or expanded.
The attorney general is representing the OSMPC in the negotiations.
