New Arkansas Wind Law Risks Jobs, Investment, and Landowner Rights
For Immediate Release: April 18, 2025
Media Contact: Jaxon Tolbert, jaxont@sewind.org
Little Rock, Ark. – Earlier this week, the Arkansas General Assembly passed Senate Bill 437 (SB437), known as the Arkansas Wind Energy Development Act — a sweeping new law that restricts wind energy development and will significantly limit private investment and rural economic growth across the state.
SB437 imposes extensive permitting and siting requirements on wind energy projects, including unreasonable turbine setbacks from property lines, and restricts turbines from being within one mile of various public institutions. While the law includes a narrow exemption for projects already under development as of April 9, 2025, the overall framework is restrictive enough to act as a de facto ban on new wind development.
“This legislation undermines Arkansas’s reputation as a state open to business and innovation,” said Katharine Kollins, President of the Southeastern Wind Coalition. “It limits the ability of farmers and rural landowners to make decisions about their land, and it turns away companies looking to invest in Arkansas communities.”
Several major wind projects already under construction in the state — including Crossover Wind in Cross County and Nimbus Wind in Carroll County — represent hundreds of millions of dollars in private capital investment. These projects are expected to deliver long-term benefits through tax revenue, job creation, and lease payments to landowners.
“At a time when energy demand is growing and communities are looking for new sources of investment, this law sends the wrong message,” added Kollins. “It risks turning away a major economic opportunity — along with the jobs, tax revenue, and long-term benefits that wind projects can deliver to rural communities in Arkansas.”
About SEWC
The Southeastern Wind Coalition is a 501(c)(3) organization that works to advance the land-based and offshore wind industry in the Southeast. We focus on providing fact-based information on the economic and environmental opportunities of wind energy, and encourage solutions that result in net economic benefits to residents and ratepayers. For more information about the Southeastern Wind Coalition, visit www.sewind.org
