June 4, 2018
By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph –
Support for the largest, single-sight wind farm in the United States continues to grow.
It’s the Public Service Company of Oklahoma’s (PSO) Wind Catcher Energy Connection project that is slated to be built in the Oklahoma Panhandle.
PSO Spokesman Stan Whiteford says the project continues to gain momentum as four more parties have signed onto the proposed settlement agreements.
Whiteford says they are the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority, the Tri-County Electric Cooperative, the South Central MCN and Oneta Power, LLC. They’ve joined with the Oklahoma Industrical Energy Consumers (known as OIEC) and Wal-Mart in reaching settlement agreements with PSO on Wind Catcher.
Whiteford says these entities are now requesting the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to approve the terms of the agreements for the project.
He says the new and continually growing support for the project means, hopefully, that the commission sees that others believe the project will benefit them and that it’ll be safe.
Whiteford says other supporters, Wal-Mart and then OIEC, came on board since the commission urged PSO to approach them with their earlier concerns.
Whiteford says the project is huge even compared to other large wind farms in the U.S. and has the potential to bring a significant economic impact along with it.
Whiteford says that – even though the project is in Northwest Oklahoma – there will be plenty of benefit throughout the state of Oklahoma including Western Oklahoma.
Whiteford believes the commission could issue their final order of approval as early as by July.
The project could then be completed and come online as early as late 2020 and will make it the lowest cost energy in PSO’s system.
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