Impacts of wind power development on Oklahoma’s public schools

Abstract

Background: The development of wind energy in western Oklahoma has expanded dramatically in recent years, as the amount of installed capacity has gone from 0 in 2002 to enough turbines to generate approximately 20% of Oklahoma's electrical needs in 2016. Associated with that development has been an increase in tax revenue and support for local schools, including many in struggling areas. This paper examines and quantifies the overall impact of the increased wind-industry related tax revenue in western Oklahoma. Methods: Variables collected and analyzed for this study include: percentage of revenue from local and county sources, student-teacher ratios, and per-student expenditures. This information was obtained for each school district from 1997 to 2015. The data then mapped and analyzed using both statistical and inferential analysis. T tests and Mann Whitney U tests were utilized identify statistically meaningful differences between school districts with and without wind turbines. In addition, a longitudinal temporal analysis was undertaken for selected locations to further illustrate the impact of the wind farms on the region. Results: The spatial patterns of local school revenue and related variables have been analyzed and compared to available socioeconomic and demographic information. Spatial and multivariate analysis has been undertaken to highlight differences in characteristics of public school districts with and without wind turbines. Results show significant differences in revenue from local and county sources between school districts with and without wind farms. However, school districts with wind farms did not have higher per-student expenditures or lower student-teacher ratios than surrounding districts. The significant change in percentage of revenue from local and county sources illustrates the relative importance of the industry, especially during challenging economic times and particularly in those areas with fewer other revenue sources. Conclusions: Though school districts with wind farms did not differ from surrounding districts in terms of per-student expenditures or student-teacher ratios, the significant difference in revenue from local and county sources suggests these districts may be less susceptible to changes in funding from state and federal sources.

The influence of climate change on low‐level jet characteristics over the South‐Central Plains as simulated by CMIP5 models

“…The Mann–Whitney U ‐test has not typically been used to characterize statistically significant changes in LLJ characteristics in previous work. However, studies relating to wind speed (Kothari and Burnett, 2017) and wind energy production (Baidya Roy and Traiteur, 2010; Castleberry and Greene, 2017; Wimhurst and Greene, 2019) have enlisted it as an appropriate statistical test.…”

The “Green on Green” Conflict in Wind Energy Development: A Case Study of Environmentally Conscious Individuals in Oklahoma, USA

“…This research focuses on the state of Oklahoma, where turbine development has increased in recent decades. There currently exists literature based in Oklahoma on socioeconomic impacts of wind energy development [18], impacts of wind development on public schools [19], the relationship of wind power and real estate prices [20], as well as a comparison of the impacts of wind energy and unconventional gas on land use and ecosystem services [21]. At the time of this writing, however, virtually no representation of public opinion related to issues surrounding wind turbines in the state is seen in the literature.…”

Local Economic Impact of Wind Energy Development: Analysis of the Regulatory Framework, Taxation, and Income for Galician Municipalities

“…Delicado et al [21] have studied how, in the case of Portugal, the benefits and positive impacts of wind farms are perceived as indirect and quite modest. From another perspective, Castleberry and Greene [32] have examined the specific case of public schools in Oklahoma, finding significant differences in revenues among school districts with and without wind farms in their territories. Okkonen and Lehtonen [33] have highlighted the importance of wind revenues in the provision and maintenance of basic services for the population of northern Scotland.…”

“…However, as underlined by Slattery et al, [10], these new sources of income gain further significance since the wind farms are installed in rural areas with little economic activity and important social and environmental problems. Thus, the revenues derived from wind power activity can be used to improve public services and/or the capacity of investment of the local economic network, as well as to implement activities linked to rural development and sustainability, as in Mexico [59] or Oklahoma [32].…”

“…In this sense, it is possible to affirm that wind power activity contributes to the economic growth of the affected areas, but it is not possible to determine with certainty the effects that it has on their rural development. In other regions, it has been proven that wind farms facilitate the maintenance of the provision of basic services for the population [32,33], and contribute to production diversification and the viability of agricultural activities [60]. In the case of Galicia, a singular example found in the SIDWEG is that of the municipality of Muras, which, ever since 2016, has allocated part of its wind revenues to helping local families pay their electricity bill.…”