OKLAHOMA CITY – The House passed multiple bills today that relate to the Oklahoma energy industry, from determining how energy is regulated "behind the meter" to setbacks on wind turbines and solar panels.

House Bill 2751, by Rep. Trey Caldwell, is the culmination of work done by multiple House members who filed wind setback bills this session. The bill puts in place a setback from wind turbines in counties that meet certain wind speed and population density requirements.

The bill puts in place:

• A setback of 1.5x the tip height of a wind turbine from the property line or a half mile from an occupied dwelling, whichever is greater, in the counties that meet the criteria 
• average wind speed below 9.5 mph according to Oklahoma Climatological Survey and;
• population density greater than 8.5 per square mile according to the 2020 US Census

"At the end of the day, the intent of this legislation is to provide a foundational regulatory framework for wind energy development in the state of Oklahoma while also protecting private property rights. This does not ban wind turbines in the state of Oklahoma. It simply says you have to be a good neighbor," said Caldwell, R-Faxon. "I appreciate the work of our Republican House members who came together to find a compromise that, while it doesn't make everyone happy, addresses this issue in a way that works for all of Oklahoma. This bill ensures every county in the state of Oklahoma can make the determination on their own how they want to handle wind development in their local area."

There are multiple ways local control is protected in HB2751. The legislation allows a property owner to waive a setback distance from a proposed turbine, if desired. It also gives local county commissioners the ability to put to a vote of the people the option to either opt-in to these setback limitations or opt-out, as desired. Finally, 10% of registered voters in a county can put an opt-in or opt-out on the ballot for local election through an initiative petition.

"This bill sets fair baseline standards for wind development in Oklahoma," said House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow. "This balances the needs of western and eastern Oklahoma and gives every county the ability to further determine how they want to handle wind development locally. Our caucus came into this session determined to find a solution that works for Oklahoma and you saw the fruition of that work come to light today with a two-thirds majority voting in favor of this legislation."

The bill requires the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to maintain a list of counties and their wind setback status. It also does not apply to existing wind turbines in Oklahoma.

Also passed today are:

• House Bill 1374 - allows businesses producing electricity only for itself to avoid regulation as a public utility 
• House Bill 2142 - limits wind turbines near military instillations and operations
• House Bill 2156 – places setbacks on solar energy and industrial battery storage facilities
• House Bill 2157 - establishes an advisory committee to study renewable energy solutions and its benefits to the agriculture industry
• House Bill 2747 - adjusts various standards related to electric utilities
• House Bill 2752 - expands prohibitions on wind turbine construction via eminent domain to include solar, hydrogen and various related infrastructure
• House Bill 2756 - requires electric utilities seeking to build new facilities to solicit and acquire a Certificate of Authority from the Corporation Commission

The bills will now move to the Senate for further consideration.