EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second part of The Daily’s three-part series on wind energy in Oklahoma. Wednesday’s story focuses on the politics and government involvement in the wind power industry.

WOODWARD — From more than 10 miles away, all 80 turbines at the Centennial Wind Farm are clearly visible.

At more than 300 feet tall, these rural skyscrapers dominate the horizon.

Don Quixote would not like Woodward very much.

While the literary character would charge with lance in hand, many Woodward residents welcome the wind farm and what it blows into town: jobs, money and a view.

There are those, however, who dislike the wind industry’s invasion into this oil boom town because of its potential impact on Oklahoma’s pristine prairies.

‘Amazing for the town’

The wind industry is new around Woodward. The first wind farm in the state was completed in 2003.

Developers have used private lands, working out lease agreements with landowners, often to the landowners’ own financial benefit.

“Here I don’t think it is too tough to convince people,” said Jerod Blocker, auxiliary operator at the Centennial Wind Farm in Fort Supply, north of Woodward.

Woodward boomed in the 1950s when oil was found nearby. The town boomed in size until the oil markets fell in the 1980s.

However, because of the recent spike in oil prices and the heavy investment in wind energy, the town is experiencing another boom, according to Ian Swart, curator of the Plains Indians and Pioneers Museum in Woodward. The town’s population has grown an estimated 3 percent since 2000, according to U.S. Census data.

“Woodward has built back up to the point where we can work on community projects,” Swart said.

A large portion of the sustained income that directly benefits local residents is through the lease agreements between rural landowners and the wind farm developers.

“If I owned ranch land, I would want windmills to be built on my property just because they get royalty,” Swart said. “That could help out ranchers.”

The typical lease agreement for the wind farms is $4,000 per 1.5 megawatt turbine per year, according to the Oklahoma Wind Power Initiative, a joint effort between OU and Oklahoma State University to educate Oklahomans about wind’s potential in the state.

Several Woodward residents love the idea of wind energy and what it can do for their community.

“I think it’s amazing for the town,” said LaFonda Damron, an occupational therapist in Woodward. “The combination of oil and wind energy is our economy.”

Others like the idea of more jobs being created in the town so that locals grow up and stay close to their roots.

“It will hopefully create more jobs and more opportunities for the people here,” said Bobbi Dodge, a physical therapy assistant in Woodward.

To help create those jobs, several area colleges and technical schools are beginning to offer programs in turbine maintenance and wind farm management.

Because the industry is so young, especially in Oklahoma, it doesn’t take much to become a specialist on the wind farm.

“You’re a seasoned wind turbine technician if you’ve been in three years,” Blocker said.

Looking toward the horizon is a reminder to these residents of wind energy’s potential to change the economic outlook for the community.

Dodge said having the towers on the horizon will remind high school students about the opportunities that exist in this town.

“The kids will be able to go out, seeing those turbines, and know there are opportunities here,” she said.

Damron said that having grown up in a rural area, there is a special beauty to the turbines.

“It’s better than a skyscraper for me,” she said.

Altering the landscape

With any new technology and development, there are going to be those who oppose to the changes in the land and the western Oklahoma horizon.

Sue Selman, owner of the Selman Guest Ranch outside Woodward, is opposed to the new industry.

“[Wind] is not the answer to our energy needs,” Selman said. “These wind companies come in, they’ve got their foot in the door, convince people it’s going to solve all their problems, and that’s a lie.”

Selman’s main concern is the environmental effects the turbines and the wind farms will have on the land.

She says wind farms disrupt birds migrating patterns and damage ground nesting birds native to Oklahoma’s prairie lands.

“They want us to ruin our wildlife and our scenery so they can have their energy,” Selman said. “As far as I am concerned the negatives outweigh the positives when it comes to wind energy.”

Another point of conflict in the area regards the transmission lines used to transport the energy to population centers.

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission, which regulates Oklahoma’s energy industry, approved this year a transmission line from Woodward to Oklahoma City. The lines have caused more conflict in the area than the wind farms, Selman said.

“We have a huge issue with these transmission lines,” she said.

A potential line from Woodward into Kansas would likely go through her ranch, which would affect visitors’ experiences at her guest ranch.

“I’m beside myself of the thought of these transmission lines coming through my ranch,” Selman said.

She said she has talked to tourists who stay at her ranch. Some are glad to see the development, while others think it alters the prairie’s natural beauty.

“I assure you that tourists are not coming here to see thousands of turbines and miles of transmission lines,” Selman said. “They are coming here to experience pristine prairies, unique wildlife, wide open spaces, beautiful sunsets, peace and quiet and western lifestyles.”

Blocker said the average lifespan for the turbines is 20 years. Many of the leases for the turbines also last 20 years.

Selman’s concern is what happens to the turbines once they are unusable.

Blocker said the farm owners would revitalize the land and restore it, but Selman is concerned with how much it can be restored.

“There’s not enough salvageable material in those turbines,” Selman said.

Selman said she was aware of what many people think about those who have concerns or are outright opposed to wind energy, but she said she will not stop until people are told “the other side” of the story.

“There’s just a mountain of issues that no one is talking about,” Selman said. “People who agree with us are afraid to say anything.”

One solution to provide energy to the grid would be nuclear, Selman said. She added she would not be opposed to a nuclear plant in Oklahoma to provide a cleaner base load of power than coal.

More regulation from legislators, she said, could help protect the Oklahoma landscape and wildlife.

“There’s no one to call if you have a problem [with the corporations],” she said.

She said everyone should live a more sustainable life and that she herself would like to go “off the grid,” to help protect the Oklahoma landscape.

“This is a beautiful place that has been left to that natural state and we have so few places like this,” Selman said. “They are altering this land forever.”