Residents Battling Wind Farms in Carroll County, Arkansas
Please read or listen to this 13-minute interview from Ozarks at Large at the link below:
Eastern Carroll County residents resolute in blocking proposed Nimbus wind facility
Here are some excerpts:
If built, Nimbus will be among the largest commercial mountaintop wind power facilities in the southeastern U.S., where land-based wind farms remain scant, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.
As an independent commercial power producer, Scout plans to market the energy out of state. As such, the company will not be subject to strict Arkansas Public Service Commission regulatory oversight and public review.
Late last year, Scout signed a high-voltage transmission line construction agreement with Entergy Arkansas and Midcontinent Independent System Operator, or MISO, to offload Nimbus-produced power into the MISO grid, which supplies 15 states.
Caroline Rogers said Entergy, as a public utility, has the power of eminent domain to take private property required for transmission line installation.
“So that means those 11 landowners have now opened up their entire neighborhood to eminent domain for private gain.”
Good interview, Jacqueline!
Yes, sadly, we agree. Eminent domain will be deployed at some point. It puts everyone located in that area in jeopardy. The energy industry and private companies use eminent domain to acquire right-of-way access to land for the construction of pipelines, power lines, and other utility projects they will need for the project. The private property owners most likely will have some of their land redistributed for this wind farm project (economic development), should this project move forward, and could be forced into a long-term relationship with the entity taking their private land.
Unfortunately, utilities across the country are using state grants of eminent domain power to take land for transmission lines and pipelines.
What makes matters worse is that the Carroll County Judge, David Writer, seems to want those 700 ft. monstrous wind towers, with blades that are 200 feet long, to move ahead. There are 46 of them to build on the ridge-tops!
Former Carroll County Judge Richard Williams and Carroll County resident Caroline Rogers have spent the past sixteen months educating property owners in southeastern Carroll County about Nimbus. (Both are pictured in the cover photo.)
Richard Williams is concerned about all the misleading information they have received concerning this questionable project.
Additionally, the Carroll County Quorum Court does NOT seem to be helping resolve this problem with the landowners, and landowners will have all sorts of complications to deal with over the years, as this moves forward. We don’t think the Quorum Court realizes the full economic impact of this wind farm project.
Attorney Matt Bishop represents those opposed to the wind farm project, thank goodness.
Here are a few more snippets from Jacqueline’s interview:
Matt Bishop has attended multiple quorum court meetings, where Scout officials have been present, pitching their project. Bishop said county officials now worry Scout may sue to protect Nimbus leaseholders.
“I keep hearing from the court that we could get sued because these people have contracts with Scout and blah blah blah,” Bishop said. “And what these contracts with Scout are? Are just options. There is no promise that Scout will do anything. So there’s not a claim when you don’t have a contract.“
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In case you missed it or would like to re-read it, here is Secure Arkansas’ previous article regarding wind turbines from May 2024:
Wind Turbines – a Carbon Footprint Scam
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Cover photo J.Froelich / KUAF
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