AEP Completes State's Largest Wind Farm

AEP-PSO is using power generated at a wind farm just completed in Western Oklahoma. The Traverse wind farm adds 356 turbines to two smaller phases of the same generating system, together supplying enough power for 440,000 homes. The turbines are winterized, so they’re able to operate in some icy conditions.

“A project like this is just the beginning of what you're going to see coming out of AEP going forward,” said Lisa Barton, the COO of AEP. “We're going to sequentially and consistently move to a clean energy economy by harnessing the power of wind and bring that value to our customers."

The utility estimates if the new turbines had been available during the freeze of February 2021, the utility could have saved $200 million on natural gas prices that spiked on the spot market. Even without that, the utility predicts customers will save $1 billion over 30 years by utilizing wind generation from the new facility.

The additional generating capacity isn’t enough to replace any of coal and natural gas generating plants yet, but AEP is moving in that direction. The utility plans to decommission it’s last Oklahoma coal fired plant in Oologah by 2026. According to spokesman Wayne Greene, its actively seeking new projects in wind and solar.

The Traverse wind farm is part the larger North Central Energy project for AEP, which generates power for AEP customers in several states.

Greene said the utility has set a goal of reducing carbon emissions by 80% in 2030. The newest part of the energy mix comes to Tulsa from the wind farms in Blaine and Custer counties - west of Oklahoma City.

AEP offers customers a program called Wind Choice to directly encourage wind power by paying a surcharge on their monthly bills.

Wind Choice program: https://www.psoklahoma.com/account/bills/programs/windchoice/