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28 April 2006 -- Two utilities located in the windy central American plains moved ahead on wind project plans today. The two facilities, located in Oklahoma and Kansas, will provide more than 220 MW of renewable energy.
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission today approved OG&E Electric Services' request to construct a 120-MW wind farm in northwestern Oklahoma. Meanwhile, Kansas City Power & Light, a subsidiary of Great Plains Energy, announced today that Sprint Nextel will be the end user of a significant portion of the wind-generated electricity produced by KCP&L's Spearville Wind Energy Facility.
OG&E's Centennial Wind Energy Project, approved in a 3-0 vote by the Commission, is expected to begin production of electric power by year-end.
"We are pleased to have approval for this major expansion of wind power in Oklahoma, which includes the support of the state Attorney General and our largest industrial customers," said Steven E. Moore, chairman, president and CEO of OGE Energy Corp., parent company of OG&E. "We applaud the Commission for taking this important step to increase our state's supply of renewable energy and further diversify our generating portfolio."
The new Centennial Wind Farm, estimated to cost about $200 million, will be built for OG&E in Harper County by Invenergy Wind LLC. Centennial will be one of only a few wind farms in the United States owned and operated by a utility. The electric output will be dedicated exclusively to OG&E's customers for the life of the facility.
Developments in the 100.5-MW Spearville Wind Energy Facility to be constructed near Spearville, Kan., include an agreement with Sprint Nextel to purchase renewable, emission-free, wind-generated electricity, which will represent over 75 percent of the average power consumed at the company's Overland Park corporate campus.
"We are excited to be partnering with Sprint Nextel, a company that is taking the initiative to utilize renewable energy," said Mike Chesser, Chairman and CEO of Great Plains Energy. "This is also a major advancement for the wind industry in Kansas that also will benefit our communities by helping preserve the environment."
"Sprint Nextel is dedicated to exploring innovative ways of reducing our environmental impact. Our partnership with KCP&L aligns perfectly with that commitment," said Faye Davis, Vice President Real Estate, Sprint Nextel. "KCP&L will be the first electric utility to actually own and operate a large-scale wind facility in Kansas. Their investment in wind energy is an important asset for the entire metropolitan area and we commend them for taking this leadership role."
Utilizing wind as an operational power source for their Overland Park corporate campus, According to Sprint Nextel, the company will be saving over 175 million pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere annually.
Spearville Wind Energy Facility will be approximately 17 miles northeast of Dodge City, and is scheduled to be in service by Oct. 1, 2006.
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