Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO), a subsidiary of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), announced today that it has signed long-term agreements to purchase approximately 198 megawatts (MW) of wind energy from two new wind farms planned for western Oklahoma.
 
The proposed projects include a 98.9 MW facility in Elk City, Oklahoma to be constructed by NextEra Energy Resource (formerly known as FPL Energy) and a 99 MW expansion of Horizon Wind Energy’s Blue Canyon facilities, located north of Lawton, Oklahoma. Both sites are expected to be online by Dec. 31, 2009.
 
"As the state’s largest provider of wind power, PSO is proud to bring even more clean, renewable energy to our Oklahoma customers," said Stuart Solomon, PSO president and chief operating officer. "Wind energy is an increasingly important part of our portfolio and with these purchases, energy from wind resources will represent a significant portion of our energy mix."
With existing wind energy contracts for 392.7 MW, the addition of 197.9 MW of new wind energy will bring the total amount of renewable energy in PSO’s generation portfolio to 590.6 MW.
 
Although specific terms of the contracts are confidential, Solomon says the 20-year agreements will not result in higher prices for customers.
Both of the new Renewable Energy Purchase Agreements (REPA) have been presented to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) for approval.
 
Execution of the REPAs is consistent with PSO’s long-term resource plan which calls for increasing percentages of its energy supply to come from renewables.
 
Current renewable resources in PSO’s generation portfolio:
• Weatherford Wind Energy Center, Weatherford, Okla., 147 MW, online in 2005
• Blue Canyon II, Lawton, Okla., 151.2 MW, online in 2005
• Sleeping Bear, Ft. Supply, Okla., 94.5 MW, online in 2008

PSO, a unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), is an electric utility company serving approximately 525,000 customers in eastern and southwestern Oklahoma. Based in Tulsa, PSO has 4,400 megawatts of generating capacity, and is the largest distributor of wind energy in the state.
 
American Electric Power is one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity to more than 5 million customers in 11 states. AEP ranks among the nation’s largest generators of electricity, owning nearly 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEP also owns the nation’s largest electricity transmission system, a nearly 39,000-mile network that includes more 765 kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined. AEP’s transmission system directly or indirectly serves about 10 percent of the electricity demand in the Eastern Interconnection, the interconnected transmission system that covers 38 eastern and central U.S. states and eastern Canada, and approximately 11 percent of the electricity demand in ERCOT, the transmission system that covers much of Texas. AEP’s utility units operate as AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana and east Texas). AEP’s headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio.