Southwestern Electric Power Co., an American Electric Power company, has announced that the Arkansas Public Service Commission has determined the Wind Catcher Energy Connection project is in the public interest.
Wind Catcher Energy Connection is a major wind farm and a dedicated power line that will bring low-cost, clean, reliable energy to AEP customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. The $4.5 billion project includes the acquisition of a 2,000-megawatt wind farm under construction in the Oklahoma Panhandle and construction of an approximately 350-mile dedicated power line that will carry wind energy to the Tulsa area. The existing grid then carries the power to customers.
SWEPCO will own 70 percent of the project. SWEPCO's sister company, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, will own 30 percent.
Customers will see savings primarily through a reduction in the fuel portion of their bills, beginning in 2021.