Chicago: Invenergy, along with GE Renewable Energy, announced a 2,000-megawatt wind farm July 26 that will be the largest in the U.S. and second-largest in the world, once operational. The Wind Catcher facility is currently under construction in the Oklahoma panhandle and will generate wind electricity from 800 state-of-the-art GE 2.5 megawatt turbines.
The wind facility is part of the $4.5 billion Wind Catcher Energy Connection that also includes an approximately 350-mile dedicated, extra-high voltage power line. American Electric Power (AEP) utility subsidiaries Public Service Co. of Oklahoma (PSO) and Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO) have asked utility regulators in Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma to approve plans to purchase the wind farm from Invenergy upon completion of construction and to build the power line to serve PSO and SWEPCO's more than 1.1 million customers.
"Wind Catcher shows American leadership in bringing low-cost clean energy to market at giga scale," said Invenergy's Founder and CEO Michael Polsky. "This project reflects Invenergy's innovative spirit and unparalleled execution ability, and we are proud to be working with forward-looking utilities like PSO and SWEPCO whose customers and communities will benefit from this project for decades to come."
Wind Catcher Energy Connection is expected to save SWEPCO and PSO customers more than $7 billion, net of cost, over 25 years. AEP estimates that the project will support approximately 4,000 direct and 4,400 indirect jobs annually during construction and 80 permanent jobs once operational. It also will contribute approximately $300 million in property taxes over the life of the project.
The 2.5 megawatt GE turbines that will power the project are GE's latest model, designed to enhance siting efficiency, offer industry-leading reliability and allow for higher energy production. GE will also implement its Digital Wind Farm solutions, providing software to support wind operations including Asset Performance Management (APM) and Operations Optimization (OO). All machine heads and hubs will be manufactured in the U.S., and additional components will be manufactured in Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma.
In addition to this project, AEP's utility companies have announced or filed for approvals for another 1,350 MW of wind and solar generation that will be owned by the company or added to its portfolio through power purchase agreements. The company has indicated plans, through the Integrated Resource Plans filed with regulators, to add a total of about 7,300 MW of new, renewable generation resources between now and 2030 to diversify its power production portfolio. AEP already has cut its carbon dioxide emissions by more than 44 percent since 2000.
Invenergy describes itself as “North America's largest independent, privately-held renewable energy company.”