Property Values In El Paso County Improved By Nearby Wind Farms

According to an El Paso County Assessor, property values have increased across the board, rather than diminished, in the wake of the nearby wind farm’s installation.

In news picked up by Fox21 News in Southern Colorado — which in and of itself is news, considering Fox’s owner, Rupert Murdoch, has generally set himself against renewable energy — El Paso County Assessor Steve Schleiker promised concerned citizens in his territory that he would monitor the sale of property, with regards to its value in the wake of the nearby wind farm developed southeast of Calhan, and its attending above-ground infrastructure.

Much to the disappointment of wind farm opponents and their propaganda that wind energy is inherently detrimental to nearby property values, Schleiker found that property values across the board had actually increased. Specifically, Schleiker monitored the sales of property in a 30,000 acre area between January 2015 and April 2016, and found that 931 homes with a current combined market value of over $173 million sold for $239 million.

“Real estate is a roller coaster,” Schleiker told Fox21 News. “Property values are selling higher than what the current assessor’s value is. I’m seeing increase in the median sale price of the properties.”

The effect of wind farms on human health and property values have been the two pillars of opponents’ arguments for years now, but have repeatedly been found to be false in the face of overwhelming evidence. There have been occasional studies which have posited that proximity to wind farms can have a deleterious effect on property values, but these are becoming more and more rare. In the end, researchers have found that increased community involvement, discussion, and informing is vital.