Loving the Wind

In Oklahoma, wind is as common as seeing a truck on the highway. It is everywhere. All the time! So why not use our God given resource and turn it into energy for our homes, businesses and even state universities? Well, I am happy to let you know that OG&E is dedicated to using our Oklahoma winds to generate energy with 7 wind farms! If you have ever seen a wind farm then you would know it….truly breathtaking. Best part is that those giant turbines are supplying environmental friendly energy to homes!

How do you get involved in the wind movement? Sign up for OG&E Wind Power They offer four different use levels of wind power RECs which you will be billed at your selected level for 12 months. However if the wind isn’t blowing then they turn to coal and natural gas to keep you powered up!

Level            Percent Of Annual kWh Usage          REC Price per kWh
A                                   25%                                                                      $0.0045 per kWh
B                                  50%                                                                       $0.0040 per kWh
C                                  100%                                                                    $0.0035 per kWh
D                      Large commercial and industrial customers

Enroll online or call OG&E Customer Service at 800.272.9741.

Now here is a really cool thing that OG&E is doing to get the word out about WindPower…How about a contest that could win you home game tickets to an OU or OSU game? Sounds awesome to me! All you have to do is enter OG&E’s fan referral program. Check out all of the details, here.

See how Oklahoma’s universities are making a conscious choice to leave a better carbon footprint by using wind energy on their campuses! You will be amazed. I sure was once I saw how each campus was so focused on energy conservation all by using the wind.

OG&E partnered with OU and OSU to create a dedicated wind farm for each university – an alliance unique among renewable energy programs nationwide.

OSU FACTS:

• The Cowboy Wind Farm is the result of a 20-year agreement between OSU and OG&E that was signed in December 2011.
• Committed energy production from the Cowboy Wind Farm is approximately 241,000 MW annually.
• OG&E estimates that OSU will satisfy 67% of their annual load with wind energy—equal to 112,000 MW.
• The remaining committed energy production will be allocated to OG&E customers and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
• The 26 Siemens 2.3 MW wind turbines equal a nameplate capacity of 59.8 MW.
• OSU CO2 emissions offset and estimated: 112,000 MWH x .75 = 84,000 tons.
• The Cowboy Wind Farm spans over 4,300 acres.

 OU FACTS:

• In 2008, the University signed an historic agreement with OG&E to purchase 100% of its OG&E-supplied electricity from renewable energy sources by 2013.
• The OG&E and OU Spirit Wind Farm partnership is the largest renewable energy commitment ever made by a public university.
• The total wind farm capacity is 101.2 MW.
• Located southwest of Woodward, Oklahoma, the farm features 44 Siemens 2.3 MW wind turbine generators.
• Those 44 wind turbines produce enough electricity to power the equivalent of 25,000 homes.
• OU receives about 85% of the renewable energy credits generated by the farm.
• Today, wind energy has the potential to create more than 15,000 new jobs and $500 million a year in property tax revenues in Oklahoma.

I would love to hear if any of my readers have signed up for WindPower and if so what do you think?

**Compensation for this post was provided by OG&E. Opinions expressed here are my own.