Apex Clean Energy needs to lease 20,000 acres for a win energy farm north of Schulenburg. So far landowners holding about 12,000 acres within the target area have expressed interest in leasing their property.
Representatives with Apex Clean Energy met with several dozen local property owners last Thursday about a possible wind energy project in Fayette County. They’re calling the Fayette County project “Mustang Wind.”
The meeting was closed to the general public. But the company says it will hold an open house meeting in August to discuss their plans with the general public.
Last Friday, after the meeting, the Record interviewed Anna Richey, one of the Apex representatives. Richey said Apex is interested in leasing property within a 50,000-acre area north of Schulenburg. She said Apex needs to lease 20,000 contiguous acres within that area in order to build the wind farm. She said landowners holding about 12,000 acres within the target area have expressed interest in leasing their property, but not all of that land is contiguous.
The development would generate 250 megawatts of power. It would include between 40 and 80 windmills. They would stand up to 600 feet tall, depending on the type of turbines used, Richey said.
Perhaps the biggest concern for local folks involves the windmills’ aesthetic impact on the landscape.
“This is the hardest part of this process – imagining what’s it going to look like,” Richey said. “People say, ‘I’m not gonna like it. I like the way it is.’Our landowners who sign on hear it from their neighbors. But, you know, after it’s built, we don’t hear anything about it anymore. People kind of get used to them. That’s not to say that everybody has to love them. No question, everyone does not.
“I always use the example of my neighbors who recently built their own shed,” she added. “I used to have this nice view out to the meadow. And now I don’t. I’m looking at this terrible homemade shed. But I don’t get to tell them what to do on their land. I know these things are much bigger than a shed. But we all know, we as a company, and I think in Texas certainly, that property rights are really important. Respecting your neighbor’s right to make decisions to help their families – financial decisions that help them keep their land in the family – that’s what we’re looking to do. (We) provide an opportunity for folks who have maybe hit a point where they’re not sure if they’re going to continue to enjoy that view for financial reasons, health reasons, all kinds of different things. And we just offer an opportunity or an option. That’s all we’re doing, just putting out an opportunity.”
Richey addressed several incorrect statements that have been made on social media about her company and the wind power industry. Richey said her company is not owned by China or any Chinese individuals.
“We are an American owned, American based company,” Richey said. “We are veteran founded and veteran led. We are not (owned by China). I know there are some (companies) that are, but we are not. We are 100% American owned and operated.”
The private equity firm Ares Management Corporation purchased a controlling interest in Apex Green Energy in 2021. Richey said that company is also American-owned and operated.
“We take a lot of pride in being an American company,” she said.
In addition, Richey said there will be no restrictions on hunting or shooting firearms on property leased for the wind farm, as some folks have incorrectly stated. In fact, she said, landowners at some of the company’s leased properties in West Texas often send Apex photos of the trophy wildlife harvested near and around the windmills.
Concerning the windmills’ effect on wildlife, especially birds, Richey said the industry did cause problems several decades ago.
“That was a very early problem when they just weren’t coordinating as well with the Audubon Society and U.S. Fish and Wildlife on bird migratory patterns,” she said. “And so there were some very early, very ugly examples.”
Since then, Richey said the industry takes into account bird migration patterns and incorporates technology to minimize the impact on wildlife.
“Turbines may kill 100 birds a year,” she said. “But if we don’t do something about carbon output, we’re gonna lose 100 species in the next five years, I think that’s the estimation right now. So we very much see responsible wind development as part of the solution to creating and consuming and maintaining bird populations.”
Despite the interest from some landowners, the Apex faces a great deal of opposition from many Fayette County residents.
High Hill resident Tammy Jo McCleney is organizing a petition urging the Fayette County Commissioners Court to block the wind farm.
“I spent a fortune on this place because of the views,” she told the Record last Friday.
McCleney is also organizing a public meeting for concerned citizens. It will take place at Freyburg Hall on June 23 from 2-5 p.m. The meeting will be open only to Fayette County residents or landowners. McCleney said Apex representatives will not be invited.
The County government has little authority interfere with private leases or the company’s ability to build wind turbines on private property. The County could deny incentives such as a property tax abatement. But Apex has not said whether they will seek tax abatements.
