WE NEED YOU! SPREAD THE WORD! NEXT MEETING JANUARY 22nd 2019
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! The proposed wind farm was on the agenda for the Wharton County Commissioners Court on January 14, 2019 and the commissioners and county judge voted UNANIMOUSLY 5-0 AGAINST moving forward with any abatements for the project. Be sure to thank your Wharton County Commissioners Court for looking out for the best interests of Wharton County!
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The topic is now on the agenda for the ECISD School Board Meeting for Tuesday January 22, 2019 a 7pm.
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Please encourage the ECISD School Board Trustees to vote NO on Tuesday, to creating a reinvestment zone or moving forward with a Chapter 313 Tax Abatement for the "Wharton County Wind Farm" from Wharton Wind LLC/Seventus/Suzlon.
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WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Let everyone know.
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Contact the ECISD School Board and let them all know how you feel about the project. Their vote should represent you, as your vote elected them.
Sign the online petition (see below).
There is a paper petition available at The Computer Center in El Campo as well.
COME TO THE ECISD SCHOOL BOARD MEETING on Tuesday January 22nd at 7pm.
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Wear red to the meeting if you are able. If you'd like a STOP THE WIND FARM yard sign or t-shirt, they are available for free (we ask for a donation to cover production if you are able) at The Computer Center in El Campo.
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ECISD SCHOOL BOARD
DENNIS RAWLINGS - PRESIDENT
DRAWLINGS@ECISD.ORG
ANTHONY DOROTIK - VICE PRESIDENT
ADOROTIK@ECISD.ORG
KEVIN WIED - SECRETARY
KWIED@ECISD.ORG
GREG ANDERSON - GANDERSON@ECISD.ORG
CECIL DAVIS - CDAVIS@ECISD.ORG
RALPH NOVOSAD - RNOVOSAD@ECISD.ORG
JAMES RUSSELL - JRUSSELL@ECISD.ORG
KELLY WATERS - SUPERINTENDENT
KWATERS@ECISD.ORG
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Petition
Our petition appeals to the ECISD School Board and Wharton County Commissioners Court regarding Chapter 312 and 313 Tax Abatements for the proposed wind farm. The wording is as follows:
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We, the undersigned, in an effort to protect our land, agricultural economy, wildlife, property rights, property values, and real estate development potential in Wharton County, request that both the Commissioners Court of Wharton County and the El Campo ISD School Board deny the request from Wharton Wind, LLC and Seventus, LLC and their associated companies for a tax abatement. We further request that neither the Commissioners Court of Wharton County or the El Campo ISD School Board pass an ordinance creating a reinvestment zone for wind energy in Wharton County.​
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The digital online version allows for personal comments. If you have already signed the paper petition, feel free to sign the online one as well and just make a notation that you've also signed the paper petition so we can keep an accurate count for city officials.
This website is by concerned citizens of Wharton County who are strongly against the wind farms that are proposed to be built here. We want to see the integrity and land values of Wharton County stay strong, as well as the continued strength and growth of our rich farming community. The culture, heritage, and values of our county run deep, and we wish to see this maintained and preserved for future generations. The group of Wharton County Against Wind Farms is dedicated to protecting Wharton County against the wind farms that seek to threaten our county as we know it now.
About Us
Wind Farm Project Info
Wind Farm Project Info
Wind Farm Company
About the Project
What have I been hearing about reinvestment zones and tax abatements?
So what are Chapter 312 and 313 Abatements?
Some facts to be aware of.
But I'm not interested in signing, so I should be fine, right?
Locally the wind farm company is calling itself Wharton Wind, LLC.
Wharton Wind LLC is owned by Seventus. Seventus is a step down, majority owned company of Suzlon Energy Limited, which is headquartered in India.
Wharton Wind LLC / Seventus intends to build somewhere between 400 to 800 wind turbines (between 400-700 ft tall) spanning across Wharton County.
Wharton Wind LLC / Seventus has been meeting with ECISD School Board and the Wharton County Commissioners Court about applying for Chapter 312 and 313 Tax Abatements for appraised value limitation to help subsidize their project. Wind farms across the country have depended upon government subsidies to build and sustain their projects.
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“The US Treasury estimates the Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit (used for wind farms) will cost taxpayers $40.12 billion in the period from 2018–2027, making it, by far, the most expensive energy subsidy under current tax law. After billions in public hand-outs, the wind industry has never been able to stand on its own and there’s no reason to believe this will change. Tax credits are now a required component of the industry’s economics. The outcome of an expired Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit is evident: wind installations will crawl to a near stop.”
- Wind Action. Lisa Liwones
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These abatements were partially created as way to help drive economies, create jobs, and "enhance the local community" (per the tax code). In the case of Wharton Wind, LLC, they will bring 10 jobs OR LESS to our local economy, but put our strong agricultural economy and hunting industry at risk as an adverse effect of the wind turbines.
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"As originally written, Chapter 313 subsidies would have required businesses to create at least 100 high-paying jobs. As the law worked through the legislature, however, that was sharply reduced to 25 jobs in urban areas, and only 10 in rural jurisdictions. Even more, the businesses could apply for a waiver so they don't have to create any.
Wind farms have been especially poor job creators. 87% of all waivers granted went to wind farms. A 2009 measurement showed that wind farms had only created 572 jobs for an estimated total gross tax benefit of $712,376,734 through the length of the agreements – that is, a $1,245,413 cost per job created." - Texas Public Policy Foundation
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See the full article here:
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- Wind Farms can not implement eminent domain.
- Eminent Domain CAN be issued by electric utility companies.
Meaning that IF additional power lines or transmission lines are needed after these turbines are up, an electric company can enforce eminent domain on your property to install these lines between wind turbines.
- The current "Reinvestment Zone" shows the boundaries where the proposed first 95 turbines will be installed.
-The wind company has expressed interest in expanding into the Lane City area.
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- Landowners on the South West Side is highway 71, Hillje, CR 1300 and 2546 have all been receiving letters of interest from the company.
- The long term goal of this project is to expand and cover our community and county with 400-800 wind turbines in total, making our county one of the largest wind farms.
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Other states, like Alabama, have state laws that protect home and property owners and require a "minimum setback line" distance of several thousand feet that a wind turbine must be away from any homes or neighboring property lines. A "good neighbor" protection, if you will. Oklahoma passed legislation to keep turbines over a mile and a half away from any hospitals, airports or schools.
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TEXAS HAS NO LEGISLATION TO PROTECT YOU FROM WIND TURBINES BEING RIGHT OVER YOUR HOME OR RIGHT NEXT TO YOUR PROPERTY LINE.
Wharton Wind LLC / Seventus intends to build somewhere between 400 to 800 wind turbines (between 400-700 ft tall) spanning across Wharton County.
Meetings
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Information about Community Meetings for educational purposes as well as notices when Wind Farm topics are on the County Commissioner Court or ECISD School Board agendas. You can subscribe to our email list to receive this information as well.
NEXT MEETING​
ECISD SCHOOL BOARD
TUESDAY JANUARY 22nd 2019 at 7pm
Community Outreach
If you'd like to show your support of our opposition to the wind farm project, we have yard signs and tshirts available for purchase at wholesale cost.
Contact us to order one.
Yard signs and t-shirts are available at The Computer Center in El Campo.
There is not a set price cost, we just ask for a donation towards their production cost if you are able.