December 4, 2024

The Honorable Kevin J. Stitt

Governor of Oklahoma

2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., Suite 212

Oklahoma City, OK 73105

Re:  Implement Emergency Moratorium on Industrial Wind Turbine and Industrial Solar Complexes in the State of Oklahoma

Dear Governor Stitt,

The undersigned citizens, officials, and organizations urge your administration’s leadership to protect the health, safety, welfare of the people, as well as the agricultural, natural resources, and property values of Oklahoma by implementing an emergency act to stop all development and leasing for industrial wind turbine and industrial solar projects in the state until the July 1st, 2025, after such time the honorable legislature can revisit, revise and correct the Oklahoma Wind Energy Development Act (Okla. Stat. tit. 17 § 160.11.)

The State of Oklahoma is facing a disaster in the form of a man-made emergency. This emergency was created by Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. This act provided federal funding for rural and agricultural areas to be preyed upon by unscrupulous, often foreign-owned, “green energy” companies, funded by American tax dollars. As such an emergency is declared to exist, the undersigned urge you to use your authority as Governor of Oklahoma to implement immediate emergency action as provided by 63 O.S. § 683.9 “The provisions of this section shall be operative only during the existence of a natural or man-made emergency. The existence of such emergency may be proclaimed by the Governor or by concurrent resolution of the Legislature if the Governor in such proclamation, or the Legislature in such resolution, finds that an emergency or disaster has occurred or is anticipated in the immediate future.”   We urge you to exercise all other executive authorities at your disposal as necessary.

Industrial wind turbine hazards to the health, safety, and welfare of the people, as well as the agricultural, natural resources, and property values of Oklahoma:

1. Broken rotor fragments can severely injure people, livestock, and property
2. Ice thrown from blades can be deadly
   PFAS, PFOAS, Fiberglass, and BPA debris risks of contamination of land, water, and animals
3. Interference with low-flying planes used for agricultural and recreational purposes
4. Eliminating life flight for rural areas that will be inaccessible by helicopter
5. Potential dead zones for the National Weather Service prevent storm tracking and alerts
6. Interfering with U.S. military radar and flights, causing possible national safety issues
7. Shadow flicker
8. Known contamination effects of micro-plastic shedding on soil and water
9. Reduced property values for non-participating landowners
10. Severe health issues due to wind turbines and stray voltage reported worldwide
11. Destroys natural beauty of Oklahoma landscape
12. Tears apart communities, pitting neighbor against neighbor
13. Financial liability and gag orders are often imposed on individuals who sign leases
14. Maims and kills thousands of hawks, geese, owls, bats, and other wildlife
15. Starts wildfires that spread to other property owners' land
16. Alters weather patterns. Decreases rainfall. Increases temperatures
     

The facts above make it irresponsible and reckless to proceed without proper setbacks and safety measures to protect Oklahoma's future.

Upon the effective date of this act until ____________, there shall be a moratorium imposed on any new development, construction or installation of any industrial wind energy facility, as defined in Section 160.13 of Title 17 of the Oklahoma Statutes, and any infrastructure used to support such wind energy facility, and industrial solar complexes, within the state of Oklahoma.  

It being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency is hereby declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage and approval.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned Citizens of Oklahoma

Works Cited

“BLADE & ICE THROW.” DNL-GL.

Ice throw and blade degeneration from wind turbines.

Clemente, Jude. “Do Wind Turbines Lower Property Values?” Forbes, 23 Sept. 2015, www.forbes.com/sites/judeclemente/2015/09/23/do-wind-turbines-lower-property-values/

Dr. James A. Chalmers qualified as an expert witness in over 20 states, found that residential properties near transmission lines sold for 20-50% less than comparable residential properties.

Cortes, Eliazar, et al. “Manufacturing Issues Which Affect Coating Erosion Performance in Wind Turbine Blades.” Research Gate, Apr. 2017, www.researchgate.net/publication/313768435_Manufacturing_issues_which_affect_coating_erosion_performance_in_wind_turbine_blades?_tp=eyJjb250ZXh0Ijp7ImZpcnN0UGFnZSI6Il9kaXJlY3QiLCJwYWdlIjoiX2RpcmVjdCJ9fQ Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.

Glüge, Juliane, et al. “An Overview of the Uses of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS).” Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, vol. 22, no. 12, 30 Oct. 2020, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7784712/​ https://doi.org/10.1039/d0em00291g Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.

Explaining PFAS, its uses, and its impact on the environment.

Keller, John. “Air Force Eyes Modeling Software to Understand How Wind Farms Create Radar Dead Spots.” Militaryaerospace.com, Military Aerospace, 18 Nov. 2013, www.militaryaerospace.com/computers/article/16715453/air-force-eyes-modeling-software-to-understand-how-wind-farms-create-radar-dead-spots Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

Aviation specialists are raising concerns that large wind turbines are creating blackout zones for military and air traffic control radars, and have the potential to create erroneous weather forecasts by spoofing weather radar systems.

Lynch, Patrick. “Texas Wind Farm Affects Land Temperature – Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet.” Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet, NASA, 2 May 2012, climate.nasa.gov/news/728/texas-wind-farm-affects-land-temperature/.

Texas wind turbines causing increase in land surface temperature.

Mein, Suzi. “5 High Profile Wind Turbine Fires.” Www.firetrace.com 28 Apr. 2020, www.firetrace.com/fire-protection-blog/wind-turbine-death

Wind turbines catching fire and causing wildfires.

“Wind Energy Development.” Af.mil, 20th Air Force, 2024, www.20af.af.mil/About-Us/Community/Wind-Energy-Development/ Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Risk of wind turbines hindering the intercontinental ballistic missile mission.

“WIND TURBINE ACCIDENT COMPILATION.” Windwatch.org, 9 Mar. 2014.

Compilation of wind turbine accidents and deaths up to 2014.

Wind Turbines Could Cause Farmers to Lose the Advantages of Aerial Spraying… Learn before You Lease. National Agricultural Aviation Association .

Wind turbines hindering crop dusting or making it altogether impossible in agricultural areas.