Judge Ruling That Wind Farms on Tribal Land Must Be Dismantled a ‘Win for American Property Rights’

An Oklahoma judge has ordered the removal of a massive wind farm after declaring that it was erected without permission from the Native American tribe that holds rights to the land. Judge Jennifer Choe-Groves ruled that the 84-turbine wind farm and its supporting infrastructure must be torn down, as its construction violated the sovereignty of the Osage Nation and required a lease from the tribe’s minerals council, which the wind farm companies had failed to obtain. “The developers failed to acquire a mining lease during or after construction, as well as after issuance of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision holding that a mining lease was required,” Judge Choe-Groves wrote....