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Wake Effects, Wind Rights, And Wind Turbines: Why Science, Constitutional Rights, And Public Policy Issues Play A Crucial Role, Kimberly E. Diamond

William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review

Developers of onshore, utility-scale wind farms seek to purchase or lease parcels on which commercial wind turbines will be sited, carefully selecting each particular parcel based on its access to high wind speeds and unobstructed wind flowing across it in the free stream. Accordingly, a wind farm developer’s purchase or lease of a tract of land generally entails a large monetary investment and carries with it an investment-backed expectation that such land will be used for its originally intended purpose. Wind wakes, which disrupt the wind velocity in the free stream, cause downwind turbines to encounter diminished wind speeds and …