TULSA – The biggest environmental story in Oklahoma this year? Public Service Co. of Oklahoma is making the case for its Traverse wind farm that opened this year.
In conjunction with the observance of Earth Day on April 22, PSO says the three wind-farm project, the largest wind farm built at one time in North America, will help the company move its energy mix from 70% fossil fuels to 70% renewable energy by 2031.
PSO says its environmental record is green and getting greener.
On March 21, PSO, the Oklahoma operating company of American Electric Power, began receiving power from the 998-megawatt Traverse wind farm in Blaine and Custer counties. With 356 turbines, Traverse is the largest wind farm built at one time in North America.
Traverse is the third, largest, and final portion of the 1,484 MW North Central Energy Facilities, which uses Oklahoma wind to serve Oklahoma customers.
NCEF facilities will generate enough energy to power 440,000 homes, the utility company says. With no fuel costs, those facilities reportedly will save PSO customers approximately $1 billion over their 30-year lifetime. All three wind farms have cold-weather packages, which will increase performance during extreme weather, company officials said.
“Traverse is our latest environmental success story, and we’re proud of it, but it’s not our only one,” PSO President and Chief Operating Officer Peggy Simmons said. “From wind farms to electric vehicle charging stations to energy efficiency programs that save customers money and reduce the use of fossil fuels, we are proud of our environmental achievements.”
AEP has pledged to achieve net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 and to reduce emissions 80% from 2000 levels by 2030, Simmons said. “NCEF and other potential PSO wind and solar plans are a major part of achieving that promise.”
In January 2021 the Sierra Club rated PSO No. 1 among 79 major electrical utilities on progress toward becoming 100% clean renewable electricity providers.
The company noted it is actively engaged in a Request-for-Proposal process for up to 2,800 additional megawatts of wind power and up to 1,350 MW of solar energy resources.
PSO has more than 565,600 customers in 232 cities and towns in eastern and southwestern Oklahoma. The utility serves at least 37 communities in southwest Oklahoma, including Lawton, Altus, Duncan, Cache, Elgin, Fletcher, Porter Hill, Sterling, Hobart, Apache, Temple and Rush Springs.