green power program moves into top spot after one year

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, US, 2004-09-22 (Refocus Weekly)

The largest utility in Oklahoma says its wind power program has become one of the leaders in the United States after only one year of operation.

OG&E Electric Services says 9,000 customers have subscribed to the program, with one-third paying for 100% of their electricity to be generated by wind. The campaign was introduced last year at the State Fair.

“Our customers told us they wanted a renewable energy program, and they have responded in bold fashion,” says Brian Alford. “Their desire to participate in a zero-emission energy program, coupled with an effective education plan, has made OG&E's program a nationally-recognized success story.”

Oklahoma is rated as the eighth-best wind resource in the U.S., and OG&E claims to have one of the lowest customer cost programs. Subscribers to the wind power program include the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, the Methodist Church and large companies such as Hitachi.

“Our education efforts have been extremely successful in raising public awareness about wind power,” adds Alford. “We've provided brochures to customers, advertised on television, radio and print, and at public events. We also have met a high demand for presentations to various clubs and organizations.”

The utility has an interactive internet site where customers can subscribe online, and where they can enter wind power amounts as low as 100 kWh to see the equivalent environmental benefit of planting trees. The company has also made special efforts to educate children about wind power.

The chair of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, Denise Bode, was the first residential customer to sign up for wind power. “I am pleased that Oklahoma has a renewable energy source as part of its fuel mix,” she says. “It demonstrates Oklahoma's commitment to the environment.”

OG&E purchases the output from 34 turbines at the Oklahoma Wind Energy Center, which is owned and operated by FPL Energy of Florida. The facility generates 50 MW of wind power for OG&E, sufficient for 15,000 homes.

OG&E has paid US$307,000 in taxes in the Woodward area.

OG&E is Oklahoma's largest utility, serving 730,000 customers in a service territory of 30,000 square miles in Oklahoma and western Arkansas. It is a subsidiary of OGE Energy of Oklahoma City, which also owns Enogex, a natural gas pipeline business.

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