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$400m wind farm to cut electricity bills in Oklahoma

The proposed Crossroads wind farm would use 86 wind turbines made by German firm Siemens

Power utility OG&E is seeking consent to build a $400 million wind farm in northwestern Oklahoma, which it says will cut customers’ electricity bills from 2014.

The Oklahoma Gas & Electric Company wants to build 86 Siemens wind turbines in Dewey County, about seven miles north of Taloga.

It is seeking approval for the “Crossroads” wind project from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, it announced today.

Developed by RES Americas, the wind project would add 198 megawatts of generating capacity to OG&C’s portfolio, beginning operations in the second half of 2011.

Although in its first year of operation, the wind farm will add 65 cents per month to customer electricity bills, the following year this extra will reduce to 9 cents per month.

Then from 2014 there will be a decrease of 40 cents per month in OG&E electricity rates, the utility said.

Howard Motley, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for OG&E, said: “By the time the new wind farm is in its third year of operation, it will provide a net savings to all of our residential, municipal and business customers. We project schools will benefit even sooner.”

Portfolio

OG&E, which is based in Oklahoma City and serves 777,000 customers in Oklahoma and western Arkansas, is pushing to meet a target to quadruple its wind generating capacity compared to 2008 levels.

That year saw it generating 170MW of wind energy, while that level has jumped to 270MW at present.

The company said today it will add a further 280MW of capacity with projects slated for completion later this year. If Crossroads is successful, OG&E will have a 751 wind energy portfolio.

“The Crossroads project represents the achievement of a very lofty goal,” said Mr Motley. “It also provides another opportunity to add significant renewable generation at the lowest reasonable cost to OG&E customers.”

The turbines proposed for the Crossroads projects would each be rated at 2.3MW output, and would connect up to OG&E’s new Windspeed transmission line that was energized at the end of last month (see this BrighterEnergy.org story).

Construction would begin shortly after permits are obtained, and would take about 12 months to complete.

RES Americas

Wind developer RES Americas, which is based in Broomfield, Colorado, announced the resignation of its President and CEO last week.

Craig Mataczynski is stepping down to pursue other opportunities in his career as well as a “new chapter” in his family life, the company said.

Mr Mataczynski had led five years of growth at the British-owned company, which also has offices in Minnesota, Oregon and Texas.

Company Chairman Vic Fryling will now act as CEO, a role he held from 2003-2005, until a new chief executive is appointed “over the coming weeks”, the company said.

“RES Americas has grown significantly in the five years that Craig has been its Chief Executive.,” said Ian Mays, CEO of RES Group, the parent company of RES Americas. “I would like to thank him for the hard work and leadership that he has provided in helping create the considerable success RES Americas is today, and also for his valuable contribution to the broader Group.”

Under the five-year leadership of Mr. Mataczynski, RES Americas has developed and or constructed more than 3,200 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy and a current development pipeline of 12,500 MW.