Lawmakers Take Up Wind and Solar Setbacks
Wind farm and solar farm setbacks, a hot topic during Oklahoma’s last legislative session, will take center stage Monday at the state Capitol. Lawmakers will hold a joint interim study to review concerns about health, safety, land use, and the broader impacts of renewable energy development.
Reps. Nick Archer (R-Elk City) and Jim Shaw (R-Stroud) are leading the study. They combined their two proposals—Archer’s “Set Back Study on Health Safety” and Shaw’s “Industrial Wind and Solar”—into one full-day hearing.
Testimony Schedule
The hearing begins at 9 a.m. with opening remarks followed by a series of scheduled speakers:
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Alan Claus Anderson will open testimony on Wind and Solar Setbacks.
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Lisa Linowes, WindAction Group, will discuss wind energy’s impacts on reliability, environment, and community.
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JW Thompson, researcher and author, will speak on Solar: Whose Land, Whose Future.
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Virginia Pflum, a landowner in Logan and Noble counties, will focus on land issues tied to wind leases.
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Saundra Traywick, Save Oklahoma Farms and Ranches, will present America’s Declaration of Independence from Green Tyranny.
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Former Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor, scheduled for 11:10 a.m., will address Local Voices Best Govern Local Land Use: Wind & Solar.
Broader Context
The hearing highlights the tension between renewable energy development and rural landowners’ concerns. Wind and solar setbacks define how far turbines or solar arrays must be placed from homes, roads, and property lines. Supporters say setbacks protect health, safety, and property values, while opponents argue that strict rules stifle renewable energy growth.
While this hearing is focused on setbacks, it was originally scheduled to also include topics like Corporation Commission Oil and Gas Conservation Division funding and Oklahoma’s role in the national critical minerals strategy. Those discussions may still surface as the study continues.
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