windfall
One of the biggest wind farms in the U.S. is coming to Oklahoma.
Located in prime oil and gas country, American Electric Power’s proposed $4.5 billion Wind Catcher project would serve more than 1 million customers in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
The project will continue the utility’s transition away from coal, which was its main electricity source only a decade ago. We can take AEP’s wind investment as a sign that renewables make economic sense even in conservative areas.
Several major utilities have embarked on billion-dollar U.S. wind energy projects in the past year, the Wall Street Journal points out. A few of them:
- Pacificorp, a utility that serves six Western states, announced last month that it would invest $3.5 billion in new wind projects and equipment upgrades.
- Wyoming’s Rocky Mountain Power recently reported that it plans to spend $3.5 billion on new wind infrastructure investments.
- In March, Minnesota-based Xcel Energy said it would invest $1.6 billion in wind projects and contracts.
- And don’t forget our favorite wind-loving red state, Iowa, home to MidAmerican Energy’s gigantic $3.6 billion wind project announced last year.
Let’s face it: No matter what Trump wants, wind power isn’t going away.