A proposed wind farm on Chapman Ranch south of Corpus Christi recently took two steps closer to becoming a reality. First, the city received a letter from the Federal Aviation Administration denying Corpus Christi’s request to reconsider FAA approval of the wind turbines. On the heels of that revelation, the city council voted 5-4 to cut money budgeted for infrastructure improvements on land recently annexed in an effort to stop or regulate the wind farm. 
Earlier this year, the FAA issued a ruling that a proposal by Apex Clean Energy to build 86 wind turbines “would not have an adverse effect on the safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace” used to train pilots from the naval air stations in Kingsville and Corpus Christi. The Corpus Christi International Airport filed a formal request dated June 10 asking the FAA to reconsider that decision. The answer came in a letter received Aug. 12.
“You failed to provide any new facts or information that would change the basis on which the determinations were made, thus your request for discretionary review is denied,” read the letter, which was signed by Gary A. Norek, acting director of Airspace Services, Air Traffic Organization, FAA. 
Norek did concede that the city had some valid points. 
“Analysis indicates the turbines would be within line of sight for the [airport surveillance radar] and would create unwanted primary targets and reduce search performance in the area of the clutter,” Norek wrote. “However, Air Traffic Control determined that this would not create a substantial adverse impact on their operations at this time.” 
Norek then cited an executed agreement between the Department of Defense, the Department of the Navy and the project developer in which neither departments objected to the wind farm. 
“Consequently, we agree with the Obstruction Evaluation Group finding that the structures would not have an adverse effect on the safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace by aircraft and would not be a hazard to air navigation,” Norek wrote. “In conclusion, we find that the OEG properly followed all the necessary procedures in making the subject determination.”
After receipt of the letter, the council voted to cut $14 million from next year’s budget that was set aside to install water and wastewater lines on 16 square miles of undeveloped land annexed in 2014. 
“We don’t have money for our infrastructure,” said council member Carolyn Vaughn when she made the motion to cut the items from the budget. “Why would we put money in that area when we can’t keep up with what we have?” 
Voting with Vaughn to make the budget cuts were council members Chad Magill, Michael Hunter, Brian Rosas and Lucy Rubio. Council member Colleen McIntyre, who voted for keeping the money in the budget, questioned Magill’s legal right to cast a vote. He has abstained on other issues concerning Apex Clean Energy because his employer does business with the wind energy company. 
Magill said his vote was based on budget concerns and was not a conflict of interest since Apex is not planning to build in the annexed area anyway. After the land was annexed, Apex changed its footprint to outside that area, cutting the number of planned turbines from 175 to 86. 
Whether or not the land will ultimately be de-annexed could rest on the results of a study by the Navy expected to be released in October. If the Navy’s study further supports the claim that the turbines will pose a threat to either of the naval air stations in Kingsville or Corpus Christi, the city will be out of options for stopping further development. 
Vaughn said if the Navy decides the turbines would interfere, she will support putting the money back in the budget and moving forward in the city’s fight to stop the wind farm. 
Objections to the wind farm have come from the city, the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce and the Nueces County commissioners based on the premise that the turbines would create problems for the area’s naval air stations. They fear wind turbines could ultimately lead to closing either or both of the military facilities. 
Apex Energy expressed confidence that the October findings will be another step in the direction of beginning construction of the wind farm. 
“The Navy and the [Department of Defense] have determined that the turbines planned for the Chapman Ranch Wind facility will not adversely impact their operations or mission,” said Dahvi Wilson, director of public affairs for Apex Clean Energy, in an email response to questions from Corpus Christi Business News. “The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that has been signed with the Navy documents this conclusion.”
Wilson said Apex has no plans to change the size or scope of the project and, as yet, has no date set to begin construction. She did express confidence the project would move forward. 
“The MOA states that the Navy and [Department of Defense’ are comfortable with the facility as planned and with the mitigation measures that have been proposed in the case that an unanticipated issue arises in the future,” she said. “We trust the DOD and the Navy to make the most informed, conservative and responsible decisions about how to protect their own missions and our nation’s security interests.”