Oklahoma wind power has vast potential

Thu, May 29th 2008, 08:25
There's a new kind of energy literally sweeping down the plains of Oklahoma, and it's truly our most abundant resource. Wind power has become the fastest-growing sector of the energy industry in Oklahoma, so fast that we can't keep up with construction of the infrastructure.

Recently the Oklahoma Electric Power Transmission Task Force met to discuss how the construction could be accomplished. As presented to the task force by the Southwest Power Pool, the cost to upgrade the transmission grid is $3.4 billion.

Oklahoma is a partner in the Southwest Power Pool, which also includes parts of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Texas.

We're trying to figure out how to pay for the cost of that transmission upgrade so we can go forward into this new form of energy. We want to do this without putting an unfair burden on Oklahomans.

The number might be staggering at first, but when put into perspective and once the investment is fully examined, it's an obvious added value to our state.

Once the infrastructure is constructed, Oklahoma energy companies will have the ability to send Oklahoma wind-generated power to states across the country. Most of our energy produced from wind will be exported
as a commodity.

The task force has taken a regional approach to the construction of transmission lines that will allow us to serve Oklahomans and assist our neighbors with their power needs. We will, in turn, create a sustainable industry for Oklahoma companies. This could create a multibillion-dollar industry developed from a resource that is free to capture.

Oklahoma has this opportunity because of our unique resource that most states don't share. Unlike electricity from coal- or natural gas-based power plants, wind power relies only on turbines and transmission lines.

It is important to keep in mind that wind energy is only a supplement to traditional power sources, because when the wind doesn't blow no energy is created. That's why this investment is so critical in Oklahoma, because of our abundance and consistency of wind.

Currently Oklahoma ranks sixth in wind energy capacity, producing more than 500 megawatts. It is estimated that northwest Oklahoma alone has 20,000 or more megawatts of wind generation capacity. With that kind of potential and a sound investment in upgrading our grid system, Oklahoma could be the top producer of wind energy in the country. That's right — No. 1 in production. We already have twice the wind energy potential per square mile than Texas, which currently ranks first in production.

The work and recommendations put forth by the task force are to be commended. The idea of wind powering our state began as an idea to enhance conservation and has developed into a multistate and multibillion-dollar economic development venture.

Once fully developed, this grid would send power through seven states with the potential of expansion to others. In this proposal, Oklahoma and our future generations could be the greatest beneficiary of this regional effort. Additional cheaper power and our economy reaping financial rewards through business development are all possible by harnessing the winds of progress.