Wind energy project in Oklahoma dedicated

Taloga Wind farm can generate up to 130 megawatts (MW) of power, which is enough to meet the needs of about 35,000 homes. All of the electricity produced by the project is being provided to Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company under a 20-year power purchase agreement.

“Oklahoma is a vital state for our wind energy portfolio with excellent wind resources and an economic climate that has attracted capital investment and job creation,” said Pedro Pizarro, president of EMG, the sixth largest operator of wind energy projects in the U.S. “We look forward to many years of providing wind power to the customers of Oklahoma Gas & Electric, a company that is respected for its commitment to expanding the generation of renewable energy in the state.”

“The Taloga facility is a great addition to our wind energy generation portfolio, which now supplies 10 percent of the annual energy to our customers,” said Jesse Langston, Vice President of Retail Energy of Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E). “And we are excited about the expected savings Taloga Wind will bring to our customers over the contract period.”

Taloga Wind is EMG’s third wind energy project in Oklahoma, joining the 19-MW Buffalo Bear wind project and the 95-MW Sleeping Bear wind farm, both located in nearby Harper County. EMG plans to develop future wind projects in Oklahoma and is working to identify potential sites, including potential expansion of the Taloga project or the addition of adjacent projects. The Taloga wind power project is powered by 54 Mitsubishi wind turbines with a generating capacity of 2.4 MW each. The facility site spans approximately 17,780 acres. Taloga’s interconnection to the grid delivers power into the Southwest Power Pool transmission system.

Taloga represents a total investment of $250 million in Dewey County. It is supporting the local economy with more than $50 million in property taxes and lease payments to local landowners over the next 20 years.

The company also announced it is making a $10,000 contribution to support the Putnam Community Building, a former school building that has been used as a focal point for community activities since the school was closed in 1967.

With offices in Santa Ana, Calif., EMG manages the competitive power generation business of Edison International (NYSE:EIX), operating a portfolio of nearly 50 electric generating sites in 13 states that are powered by wind, natural gas, biomass and coal, as well as an energy marketing and trading operation based in Boston. EMG is one of the largest developers of wind energy projects in the U.S. with a current portfolio of 31 projects in operation or under construction in 11 states with a total generating capacity of nearly 2,000 megawatts.

By José Santamarta, www.edison.com/