‘Polls, State Chamber Frown on Oklahoma Wind Tax Proposal’

• Joe Wertz
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  Joe Wertz was a reporter and managing editor for StateImpact Oklahoma from 2011-2019. He reported on energy and environment issues for national NPR audiences and other national outlets. He previously worked as a managing editor, assistant editor and staff reporter at several major Oklahoma newspapers and studied journalism at the University of Central Oklahoma.

Nearly 3/4 of Oklahoma voters oppose a half-cent tax on wind-generated electricity proposed by Gov. Mary Fallin, The Oklahoman’s Paul Monies reports a poll sponsored by a wind advocacy group shows. “The State Chamber also is voicing opposition to the plan.”

Polls, State Chamber frown on Oklahoma wind tax proposal

American Wind Action commissioned polls in January and earlier this month to see how Oklahomans viewed both wind energy and a proposed wind tax, which was unveiled earlier this month by Fallin in her executive budget as one measure to plug the state’s estimated $878 million shortfall.

Seventy-two percent of respondents said they were opposed to a wind production tax, according to the poll conducted Feb. 10 and 12 by WPA Research. Among Republicans, 66 percent were opposed, while 75 percent of Democrats were opposed. Meanwhile, 82 percent of independents opposed a wind tax.