Karen Gleason
City council members voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a resolution supporting a wind farm management bill filed in the Texas House of Representatives.
Val Verde County Commissioner Pct. 3 Beau Nettleton on Jan. 14 sent a letter to the city council asking members to pass a resolution in support of House Bill 623.
The bill was filed for consideration during the 87th Texas Legislature by Texas Rep. Eddie Morales (D-Eagle Pass).
The bill, if passed, would allow county commissioners court, in collaboration with a military aviation facility in a county – like Laughlin Air Force Base – “to designate one or more appropriate locations for a person to install a wind-powered energy device.”
The bill also would “prohibit the installation of a wind-powered energy device in the county in an area other than a designated area.”
The bill would not apply to wind-powered energy devices installed before the passage of the commissioners court order and requires areas designated by the court as appropriate locations for wind-powered energy devices “maintain compatibility with the activities of the military aviation facility.”
Mayor Bruno “Ralphy” Lozano told the council during its meeting Tuesday he had earlier in the day received an update on the proposed legislation from the city’s consulting firm, the firm of Van De Putte & Associates.
Lozano said a companion Senate bill, SB595, was introduced for consideration Tuesday by Texas Sen. Roland Gutierrez (D-San Antonio).
Lozano then made a motion to approve the resolution, with Councilman Raul C. Ojeda Jr. giving the second.
Ojeda said he, too, had spoken with staff in Gutierrez’s office Tuesday and noted the language in the Senate bill would be the same as that in the House bill.
None of the other council members had concerns or questions before the vote, and all of the council members voted in favor of the motion approving the resolution.
