Rogers-Lowell Area News

SWEPCO Seeks Approval of Low-Cost Renewable Energy

Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO), plans to add 810 megawatts of wind energy by 2022 to bring more clean, affordable energy to its customers. SWEPCO has asked utility regulators in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas to approve its proposal as part of the company’s strategy of significantly increasing its use of environmentally friendly energy sources, such as wind and solar.

SWEPCO’s strategy calls for more than one-third of the energy required by customers to be generated from wind and solar sources over the next 20 years. Under this plan for SWEPCO’s energy source mix:

• Wind energy increases from 9% to 26%, and solar is introduced and grows to 10%
• Natural gas grows from 7% to 19%
• Coal drops from 83% to 44%

Toward its goal, SWEPCO is proposing to add 810 MW of wind energy:

• Enough wind energy to power 200,000 homes
• Save customers an estimated $2 billion over the 30-year expected life of the wind facilities
• Further diversify SWEPCO energy source mix – 810 MW moves wind to 21% of the mix
• Help customers meet their own renewable energy and sustainability goals

SWEPCO is pursuing its proposal to acquire three Oklahoma wind generation facilities in conjunction with its sister company, Public Service of Oklahoma (PSO). The portion of the wind generation allocated to each state may be adjusted depending on regulatory approvals. The projects were identified through a competitive bidding process. SWEPCO’s proposal is subject to approval by utility regulators in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

To learn more visit SWEPCO.com/CleanEnergy.