Piedmont may fight power line

By Robert Medley

Published: August 20, 2008

PIEDMONT — The next step in the city's quest to deal with a giant wind power transmission line is to study responses from residents, a city official said.

Piedmont officials want to know how badly residents want to fight plans by Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co. to construct a 345,000-volt power line through the fastest growing part of the city, Mayor Mike Fina said.

At a Monday night town hall meeting at Piedmont First Baptist Church, more than 400 people filled out surveys after listening to presentations by OG&E officials and engineers, Fina said.

OG&E plans by 2010 to build a 120-mile power line from wind farms south of Woodward to just south of NW 164 between Rockwell Avenue and Council Road.

Fina said people who want to fill out the surveys can still do so by picking them up at city hall, 314 Edmond Road NW.

Fina and council member John Brown will sift through responses from residents. At first glance, residents apparently want the city to fight the power line, Fina said.

Fina said the city may have more options than just seeking legal action against OG&E. One option could be offering money to the electric company to pay for relocation and raising the funds from a local tariff charged to electric customers.

At Monday night's forum, OG&E officials told residents the route selected to go through Piedmont was chosen because officials wanted to avoid a nearby private airstrip.

Fina said the airstrip is owned by former Piedmont council member and Mayor J.G. Liebmann, who lives near Morgan Road and Edmond Road.

Fina said once all the surveys are reviewed, results will be presented to council members at a 7 p.m. regular meeting Monday.

A special meeting will be called to further discuss the results, he said.

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