OG&E says the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) has approved the 101 MW OU Spirit wind farm, clearing the way for more renewable energy on the state's power grid.
OG&E had previously asked the OCC to approve terms of an agreement that allows OG&E to start recovering the costs of the new wind farm as it begins production.
The decision also assigns to OG&E's customers the proceeds from the sales of the wind farm's renewable energy credits, including credits purchased by the University of Oklahoma.
The decision allows the company to begin recovering construct costs as each of the wind farm's 44 turbines comes online.
The utility says the impact on the average residential customer's 2010 electric bill should be approximately $0.90, decreasing to $0.80 in 2011.
Including OU Spirit, OG&E has 270 MW of installed net capacity in northwestern Oklahoma. The utility is also seeking approval of two additional wind projects totaling 280 MW that could come online by 2012. If approved, the 550 MW would represent about 8% of OG&E's total generating capacity, according to the company.
SOURCE: OG&E
