PSO wind farm nears completion

WEATHERFORD, OKLAHOMA - Oklahoma's largest wind farm is nearing completion near Weatherford as crews complete final tests on the more than 300-foot long turbines.

Public Service Co. of Oklahoma announced its 106.5 megawatt wind farm near Weatherford will begin producing commercial power within weeks.

"This project is going to allow us to provide clean, low-cost, renewable power to our customers, and it is going to help solidify our position as a leading wind-power distributor in the state," PSO spokesman Stan Whiteford said of the Weatherford project.

PSO was the last of the four major Oklahoma utilities to adopt wind-generated power, but its two projects under construction are expected to nearly double the state's wind electricity capacity.

Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co., Western Farmers Electric Cooperative and Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority each commissioned wind power projects in 2003 that generate a combined 276 megawatts.

Besides PSO's 106.5 megawatt project near Weatherford, the state's second-largest electric utility also has announced plans to buy power from a 151.2-megawatt wind farm under construction north of Lawton.

Unlike the two other windfarm locations in the state, the Weatherford site easily is visible from Interstate 40, a feature Kylah McNabb, coordinator for the Oklahoma Wind Power Initiative, said could help fuel further interest in the budding industry.

"We have an initiative to build a roadside park where people can pull off I-40, eat lunch and learn about wind energy in Oklahoma," she said. "People often stereotype Oklahoma, but I think the wind farm is a fantastic opportunity to show how technologically advanced we are."