More Info on Windfarm Plan on County’s North Texas Land

Some folks opposed to wind farm development in Fayette County were surprised to learn this week that a wind energy company wants to lease the County’s school land in Baylor County.

Just three weeks ago, the Fayette County Commissioners Court unanimously passed a resolution opposing wind farm development here. The resolution calls on the Legislature to grant counties the ability to “protect their community and environments from implementation of harmful development.” The resolution went on to call for environmental and economic impact studies regarding wind farms.

The Record reached out to Baylor County Judge Rusty Stafford last week to get his thoughts on wind farm development there. We were unable to reach him in time for this publication. But the Judge’s secretary, Laccy Patterson, said she’s taken several calls from folks in Fayette County who wanted to speak with Stafford about the “cow fans,” as she called them, referring to wind turbines.

The Record also spoke with Matt Gwinn, owner and publisher of the Baylor County Banner newspaper. Gwinn said he’s familiar with the Fayette County School Land, located in eastern Baylor County.

“It’s rough country out there,” Gwinn said. “It’s hilly, rocky. There’s some pasture land scattered in little sections here and there.”

Gwinn said wind farms started moving into Baylor County about 10 years ago. The 520,000-acre Waggoner Ranch covers much of northern Baylor County along with portions of five other nearby counties. Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke bought the Waggoner Ranch in 2016.

“He’s putting wind generators all across the Waggoner,” Gwinn said. “So it’s already here. It’s helped some people. It’s helped the school. They built a new auditorium with the last wind farm that was built here about five seven years ago. We’re paying it off this year. There are two other projects coming up right now. It’s not going to make any difference to us, because we’re already covered up.”

In 2021, Kroenke bought the La Escalera Ranch in Baylor County, which is situated between the Waggoner Ranch and the Fayette County School Land.

“He’s going to put windmills there, also,” Gwinn said.

Baylor County votes predominately Republican, Gwinn said, much like Fayette County. Baylor County is much smaller, though. The U.S. Census Bureau listed the population at 3,465 in 2020. And most of those people live in the town of Seymour, the County Seat.

“People get paid well to have the wind farms on their land,” Gwinn said. “The aesthetics aren’t pretty. But I don’t know what you’re going to do.”

Gwinn said he understands the opposition to them in Fayette County.

“I see their point of view,” he said. “They do make some noise if you live by them. I don’t see them making a whole lot of energy. It seems like a lot of expense for the amount of energy you get out of it.”

Gwinn said a few residents opposed the wind developments when they first started coming into Baylor County. But he doesn’t hear much about it these days..

“The opposition is over here,” he said. “The horse has already left.”

“You might as well take advantage of it,” Gwinn added. “They’re already here. We’ve got a bunch. It’s not really going to affect anything. I don’t think anyone is going to raise problems about it.”