Jack County plans to allow French company Électricité de France (EDF) to construct wind farms, although Texas land rights organization TLOW reports that, based on independent studies, property values decrease by 25% to 40% or more in areas within view of wind or solar farms.
According to TLOW, Texas brokers have reported that within the last six months they have had clients decide not to buy land because of wind turbines potentially being built in proximity to the property. In fact, several brokers who sell property in Brown County and the surrounding area, including Comanche and Mills counties, state that eight of 10 buyers will not even look at a property if wind turbines are in view.
Texas Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian told Austin News that Texas' over reliance on renewable energy, most notably power from wind turbines, was to blame for the disastrous power outages during Winter Storm Uri.
"Electricity generated from wind and solar decreased 52% while the electricity from natural gas increased 72%" said Christian.
However, according to ERCOT statistics, wind and solar power generate less than 25% of electricity in Texas, and wind turbines in Texas are not equipped with optional cold-weather protection mechanisms.
Local group North Texas Heritage Association (NTHA) is concerned that wind turbines will harm delicate ecosystems in the area.
"There are other issues that we believe both APEX and EDF have overlooked, or have decided to ignore, that deeply concern us" NTHA said in a statement. "One of the major concerns is the danger a wind farm could pose to our environment – we have known for some time that the migratory route of the highly endangered Whooping Crane flies through the land that APEX and EDF have leased for their turbines."
According to the Dallas Express, Jack County Commissioners will determine on July 12 how to respond the EDF Group, which is requesting that Jack County grant a tax abatement because they are producing renewable energy. This request has faced heavy criticism from the NTHA, which has 700 members from the Jack County area comprising ownership of over 450,000 acres.
The NTHA opposes tax abatements for the EDF Group claiming these are a form of “corporate welfare.” The NTHA also asserts that future Jack County wind farm would harm both property values and local ecosystems. Texas Business Daily reports that Jack County Commissioners are hearing a motion to end tax abatements for wind energy producers.
This issue arose from serious environmental and economic concerns about plans to construct an expansive wind farm in northern Jack County.
