Public Service Co. of Oklahoma (PSO) is rolling out 11 open houses across northern and central Oklahoma to collect landowner and community input on preliminary study segments to help determine a power line route for the Wind Catcher Energy Connection.
Announced in July, the $4.5 billion project includes acquiring a wind farm in northwestern Oklahoma, an approximately 350-mile power line and two new substations. According to PSO, the facilities would bring approximately $300 million to local communities through property taxes over the next 25 years and provide a cost-savings of more than $2 billion for PSO customers.
PSO and its sister company, Southwestern Electric Power Co., will partner on the project. Development of the line route began over the summer, and the overall project is expected to deliver wind energy to customers by the end of 2020.
“Talking with people in the community about our project is important,” says John Harper, PSO’s vice president of external affairs. “It helps us learn information that allows us to make better routing decisions, and it gives us a chance to answer questions the community may have.”
The open house events are set up in a workshop format. Attendees can talk with project team members, review detailed maps and provide information for use in determining the power line route. Electrical planners, engineers, routing experts, and right-of-way and construction representatives will be available to answer questions. The open houses are scheduled from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., but guests may come and go anytime during the events, as there is no formal presentation.
More information on the open houses can be found here.
