OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Southwest Oklahoma landowners have registered private airstrips in order to push back on the development of wind farms in the area.
More than two dozen private air strips have been certified by the Federal Aviation Administration this year. At least 15 of them are near Marlow in Stephens County.
The rush to register the airstrips comes after state law passed last year said turbines had to be at least a mile and a half away from a school, hospital or airport. But landowners can't apply for an airstrip after developers have notified county commissioners and the public about wind turbine plans.
NextEra Energy Resources is planning to complete a 120-turbine project in Stephens and Grady counties by the year's end. The company is also expanding a wind farm in Canadian and Caddo counties.