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Powerful Living Wind Energy Reaches Strongest Year in 2012


Oklahoma hits No. 4 in the nation for new capacity installations


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he American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) announced the U.S. wind energy industry had its strongest year ever in 2012, installing a record 13,124 megawatts (MW) of electric generating capacity, leveraging $25 billion in private investment, and achiev- ing over 60,000 MW of cumulative wind capacity. The milestone of 60,000 MW (60 gigawatts) was reached just fi ve months


after AWEA announced last August that the U.S. industry had 50,000 MW installed. Today’s 60,007 MW is enough clean, affordable, American wind power to power the equivalent of almost 15 million homes.


Top states for new capacity installations in 2012 include:


1. Texas (1,826 MW) 2. California (1,656 MW) 3. Kansas (1,440 MW) 4. Oklahoma (1,127 MW) 5. Illinois (823 MW) 6. Iowa (814 MW) 7. Oregon (640 MW) 8. Michigan (611 MW) 9. Pennsylvania (550 MW) 10. Colorado (496 MW)


In this historic year of achievement, wind energy for the fi rst time became


the No. 1 source of new U.S. electric generating capacity, providing some 42 percent of all new generating capacity. In fact, 2012 was a strong year for all renewables, as together they accounted for over 55 percent of all new U.S. generating capacity.


Resulting from 190 projects across 32 states plus Puerto Rico, this new record for annual installations of over 13,000 MW by the U.S. industry far surpasses the previous record of 10,000 MW installed in 2010.


In Oklahoma, Western Farmers Electric Cooperative (WFEC)—a generation and transmission cooperative headquartered in Anadarko, Okla., that supplies power to 23 distribution cooperatives in Oklahoma and New Mexico—has purchase power agreements with four wind farms that account for approxi- mately 15 percent to 16 percent of WFEC’s annual wholesale energy. In June 2012, WFEC added its fourth wind farm, the Rocky Ridge Wind Project, located in Kiowa and Washita counties, near the towns of Hobart, Rocky and Gotebo, Okla. This new wind development in 2012 has a total in- stalled nameplate capacity of about 150 MW. Rocky Ridge spreads over 18,000 acres of land leased from 75 owners. The site has the potential to produce enough power for approximately 45,000 homes.


6 WWW.OK-LIVING.COOP


“Wind is an important part of WFEC’s diverse resource mix and plays an integral part in our overall commitment to renewable energy, as well as en- abling the ability to reduce fossil fuel emissions,” WFEC CEO Gary Roulet said. “It is our primary purpose to keep focused on providing our member cooperatives and their consumers with a reliable and affordable supply of electricity. This is why WFEC strives to have a diversifi ed fuel blend that in- cludes not only coal and natural gas, but wind and hydro as well.” WFEC also receives energy produced by Blue Canyon Wind Farm, located in the Slick Hills area, northwest of Lawton. With a nameplate capacity of 74 MW, this wind farm began delivery of energy in December of 2003. Blue Canyon provides energy equal to that used by more than 20,000 homes each year.


In December 2008, WFEC added the Buffalo Bear wind project, located near Fort Supply in northwest Oklahoma. This wind farm has a nameplate capacity of 19 MW and will generate energy equal to that used by over 5,000 homes a year.


In 2009, WFEC added a nameplate rating of 123 MW of wind power through the Red Hills Wind Farm, near Elk City in western Oklahoma. Red Hills Wind Farm will generate energy equal to that used by over 40,000 homes each year. WFEC does not currently retain or retire all of the environmental attributes with these wind power purchases. A portion of the Renewable Energy Credits (REC) produced by these wind-generating facilities are sold on a retail basis to WFEC cooperative members through the WindWorks program, with the re- maining RECs sold at the wholesale level to third parties. AWEA Interim CEO Rob Gramlich said, “It is a real testament to American innovation and hard work that for the fi rst time ever a renewable energy source was No. 1 in new capacity. We are thrilled to mark this major milestone in the nation’s progress toward a cleaner energy system.”


Currently installed wind power will avoid 95.9 million metric tons a year of carbon dioxide emissions, equal to 1.8 percent of the entire country’s carbon emissions.


Wind Farm Projects Western Farmers Electric Cooperative: Anadarko, Okla.


✓ Blue Canyon Wind Farm: Located in the Slick Hills area, northwest of Lawton; Capacity of 74.25 megawatts


✓ Buffalo Bear Wind Farm: Located near Fort Supply, north- west Oklahoma; Capacity of 18.9 megawatts


✓ Red Hills Wind Farm:


Oklahoma hits Number 4 in the nation for new capacity installations


Located near Elk City, west- ern Oklahoma; Capacity of 123 megawatts


✓ Rocky Ridge Wind Farm: Located in Kiowa and Washita counties, southwest Oklahoma; Capacity of 150 megawatts


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