Multiple real estate studies and firsthand reports show that properties near wind turbines can lose value — especially if turbines are within view or earshot. In some rural counties, homes located within a half mile to a mile of turbines have sold for 15–40% less than comparable homes farther away.

Key reasons for loss of value include:

• Audible turbine noise disrupting everyday living

• Health-related stigma deterring potential buyers

• Visual “industrialization” of otherwise natural rural land

• Fewer interested buyers due to long-term lease encumbrances

Some buyers pull out of deals entirely once they learn turbines are planned or nearby.

Wind contracts often contain fine print that limits how you can use your own land, including:

• Restrictions on building new structures over a certain height

• Requirements to “consult” the wind company before major improvements

• Limitations on renting or subdividing the property

• Permission for developers to install and maintain access roads, underground cables, and monitoring equipment — sometimes across fields, pastures, or residential areas

This can interfere with farming operations, irrigation patterns, livestock movement, and future development plans.

Wind contracts often leave the burden of cleanup on the landowner. This includes:

• Removing concrete turbine foundations (only partially required in most cases)

• Dismantling towers, cables, and substations

• Reclaiming access roads and disturbed soil

In most contracts, the developer agrees to remove turbine materials to only 3 feet below ground, leaving behind massive underground platforms — sometimes as large as a swimming pool. If the company goes bankrupt, leaves the area, or simply fails to complete removal, the landowner (or their heirs) may be stuck footing the bill.

This can amount to tens of thousands of dollars per turbine — not including land devaluation.

Some landowners find out too late that wind easement agreements can:

• Conflict with existing mortgage agreements

• Prevent refinancing or land sales

• Create uninsurable title issues due to easement conversion clauses

• Transfer long-term obligations to heirs or future buyers without recourse

These contracts can silently devalue your land’s financial and legal flexibility — even if you never host a turbine yourself.