The second of three new wind facilities serving Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) customers has begun commercial operation.
Located southwest of Enid, the 287-megawatt (MW) Maverick facility is part of the 1,485-MW North Central Energy Facilities (NCEF) project.
“PSO customers expect clean, renewable energy to be a growing part of our energy portfolio, and we are listening,” said Peggy Simmons, PSO president and chief operating officer. “Wind generation has zero fuel costs. That savings and federal incentives offset the cost of the facilities. That means an anticipated net long-term savings of more than $1 billion for our customers over the expected 30-year life of the facilities.”
In addition to Maverick, the NCEF project includes the 199-MW Sundance wind farm, which began commercial operation on April 14, 2021, and the 999-MW Traverse wind farm, which is under construction with planned commercial operation in early 2022. In total, the facilities will generate enough energy to power 440,000 homes.
“Wind energy is clean and sustainable. These projects will help Oklahoma’s economic development future and save our customers’ money,” Simmons said.
PSO will receive 675 MW from the NCEF project. PSO’s sister company, Southwestern Electric Power Company, will receive 810 MW from the project.
The facilities are being developed by Invenergy and purchased by PSO and SWEPCO at completion. PSO and SWEPCO are American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) companies.
The Maverick facility includes 103 GE Renewable Energy wind turbines. It is connected directly to the transmission grid that serves PSO customers.
In addition to Sundance and Maverick, PSO’s diverse energy resource mix currently includes more than 1,100 MW of wind energy under power purchase agreements with facilities in Oklahoma. Along with wind, solar and natural gas are the other key components that will help drive PSO’s clean energy future.
About PSO
PSO, a unit of American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP), is an electric utility company serving more than 562,000 customer accounts in eastern and southwestern Oklahoma. Based in Tulsa, PSO owns approximately 3,800 megawatts of generating capacity fueled primarily by natural gas. It also maintains and operates 22,000 miles of distribution lines and 3,700 miles of transmission lines. PSO is one of the largest distributors of wind energy in the state. News releases and other information are at www.PSOklahoma.com. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @PSOklahoma.
About American Electric Power (AEP)
American Electric Power, based in Columbus, Ohio, is powering a cleaner, brighter energy future for its customers and communities. AEP’s approximately 16,800 employees operate and maintain the nation’s largest electricity transmission system and more than 223,000 miles of distribution lines to safely deliver reliable and affordable power to 5.5 million regulated customers in 11 states. AEP also is one of the nation’s largest electricity producers with approximately 30,000 megawatts of diverse generating capacity, including more than 5,600 megawatts of renewable energy. The company’s plans include growing its renewable generation portfolio to approximately 50% of total capacity by 2030. AEP is on track to reach an 80% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from 2000 levels by 2030 and has committed to achieving net zero by 2050. AEP is recognized consistently for its focus on sustainability, community engagement, and diversity, equity and inclusion. AEP’s family of companies includes utilities AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana, east Texas and the Texas Panhandle). AEP also owns AEP Energy, which provides innovative competitive energy solutions nationwide. For more information, visit aep.com.
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