Construction isn’t expected for a few more years, but the Muscogee (Creek) Nation is fighting a planned wind farm by a Canadian firm in eastern Oklahoma near Eufaula.
The wind farm consisting of 100 wind turbines will be built by TransAlta Corps., a Canadian firm already operating a wind farm in western Oklahoma. The project was the subject of a town hall meeting held at the Eufaula Indian Community Center. Some on hand, reported Fox 25 News, wore shorts that read “No Wind Turbines in McIntosh County.”
It’s reported that more than two dozen land owners have signed contract agreements with TransAlta. But the project also has the concern of McIntosh County Commissioners who plan a meeting on Thursday to discuss the opposition and the impact of the proposed wind farm.
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In a message to the Indian Journal, Chad Macy, Manager of Environmental Planning US Renewables for Transalta, explained the project near the community of Hanna, is still in its early stages of development.
“There is still much work to do in order to determine if the wind project is viable which includes a continuation of environmental and wildlife studies and wind resource assessment, engineering and design and future stakeholder outreach and consultation. At this early stage, construction activities would not be anticipated for at least a couple of years,” he wrote.
“We appreciate that our recent filing with the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (CCC) in early September appears to have created the impression that construction of the project is imminent. Please let me assure you that this is not the case.”
Macy further stated the company has been in contact with “many local landowners” and “have secured wind lease agreements totaling approximately 22,000 acres.”
TransAlta announced in 2021 its plans to build the White Rock East and White Rock West wind projects consisting of 51 turbines. At the time, it estimated construction costs up to $470 million. Three years later in April of 2024, the Calgary, Alberta-based company announced the two wind farms, with combined production of 300 MW of electricity, had achieved commercial operation. Both were fully contracted to Amazon Energy LLC and were supply clean electricity to the firm.
