Oklahoma new wind farm

AEP-PSO plans to give its customers the option to buy wind energy produced at a wind farm under construction near Minco, the Tulsa- based utility announced Friday.

American Electric Power-Public Service Company of Oklahoma signed a prospective deal with Nextera Energy Resources for the long-term purchase of the wind power.
 
Under the agreement, which still needs Oklahoma Corporation Commission approval, a portion of the Minco 99-megawatt site will be set aside specifically for AEP- PSO customers who request their electricity come from a renewable source.

"There is an interest on the part of some PSO customers to be able to have a certain portion, if not all, of their energy coming from renewable energy sources," Kathy Champion, the utility’s consumer programs manager, said in a statement.

The voluntary program would allow customers to designate how much of their electricity is provided by renewables such as wind energy. AEP- PSO customers can buy that power in blocks of 100-kilowatt hours, according to company’s release.

The $175 million Minco wind farm, which will include 62 wind turbines, could be completed by the end of the year. Nextera Energy Resources also operates a 98.9-megawatt wind farm near Elk City, while the parent Nextera has wind power centers near Weatherford and Woodward.

AEP-PSO filed a request for state approval of the Green Energy Choice tariff in January. The tariff would charge an additional $2.85 for every 100 kilowatt hours in renewable energy requested by participating customers. About 12 percent of AEP-PSO’s generating capacity comes from wind power. The utility serves 525,000 customers in eastern Oklahoma and western

By Rod Walton, Tulsa World, www.tulsaworld.com/