GE unveils largest combined onshore wind project in history

GE Renewable Energy has entered into an agreement with Chicago-based Invenergy, a global clean energy developer and operator, to supply wind turbines to the 1.48 gigawatt wind power facilities in north central Oklahoma.

GE’s Largest Onshore Wind Project

The North Central Wind Energy Facilities project is a group of three wind farms in north central Oklahoma. GE will deliver 492 2.X-127 turbines and 39 2.X-116 turbines. According to the press release from GE Renewable Energy:

The three wind farms are the 999-megawatt Traverse Wind Power Center, the 287-megawatt Maverick Wind Power Center and the 199-megawatt Sundance Wind Power Center. Maverick and Sundance will be completed in 2021 and Traverse in 2022.

The Traverse Wind Energy Center will become the largest wind farm in the United States if it is commissioned as planned.

Tim White, CEO of GE Renewable Energy, Onshore Americas, said:

GE Renewable Energy is thrilled to be a part of this exciting venture, which is the largest combined onshore wind project in GE history. We have a long-standing partnership with Invenergy and AEP and look forward to working closely with them to help bring a significant amount of affordable and sustainable energy to the region.

AK, LA, OK = in. TX = output

The project will be owned by subsidiaries of American Electric Power (AEP) in Columbus, Ohio, subsidiaries of American Electric Power (AEP), Public Service Co. of Oklahoma (PSO) and Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO). According to Power magazine:

“PSO will own 45.5% and SWEPCO will own 54.5% of the project, which will cost around $ 2 billion,” said AEP.

According to AEP, PSO has received approval from regulators in Oklahoma and SWEPCO has received approval from regulators in Arkansas and Louisiana to acquire the North Central wind power facilities on a turnkey basis. at fixed cost upon completion in 2020. The Arkansas Public Service Commission and the Louisiana Public Services Commission approved the flex-up option, agreeing to acquire the Texas portion, which the Public Utilities Commission (PUC ) of Texas refused.

In June 2020, AEP CEO Nicholas Akins said in a statement the denial of Texas [via Power Engineering]:

We are disappointed that our SWEPCO customers in Texas cannot benefit from the low cost wind power that the North Central projects will provide.

The regulatory approvals we have received in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will allow us to move forward with North Central’s full-scale wind projects, which will enable our customers to have these States will save about $ 3 billion over the next 30 years.

Texas PUC has been in the headlines a lot this year. After the massive Texas blackout crisis in February due to freezing weather, the three Texas PUC members resigned in March after pressure from lawmakers because they refused to retroactively adjust the inflated price of electricity.

And just today, Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) appointed Will McAdams, president of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Texas and former Texas Capitol assistant, to the Texas PUC board of directors. It will need to be confirmed by the State Senate.

Invenergie photo

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