American Electric Power has opened what the Columbus-based power company is calling the largest single wind farm built at one time in North America.
The project is is part of the multistate utility's move away from fossil fuels.
The 998-megawatt Traverse Wind Energy Center, which spans two counties in north central Oklahoma, went into service Monday and is now providing wind power to customers of AEP's Public Service Company of Oklahoma in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.
Traverse has 356 turbines that are nearly 300 feet tall. Most of the blades go up to nearly 400 feet in height.
Traverse is the third and final wind project of the North Central Energy Facilities, which generate 1,484 megawatts of wind power.
“Traverse is part of the next chapter in AEP’s transition to a clean energy future. The commercial operation of Traverse – the largest single wind farm ever built at once in North America – and the completion of the North Central Energy Facilities is a significant milestone in our efforts to provide clean, reliable power to our customers while saving them money,” Nick Akins, AEP's chairman, president and CEO, said in a statement.
Beyond Traverse, the North Central include the 199-megawatt Sundance and 287-megawatt Maverick wind projects. Those two projects began operation in 2021.
Other wind projects in the nation have been bigger than Traverse, but AEP said those projects actually are several projects built over a number of years and then lumped together. What's different about Traverse is that it is AEP says the project was built and has come online all at one time.
The three projects cost $2 billion. Renewable energy company Invenergy, which is developing several wind projects in Ohio, built the project in Oklahoma.
AEP has 31,000 megawatts of generating capacity, including more than 7,100 megawatts of renewable energy.
AEP says it is on track to have half of its generating capacity from renewable sources by 2030 and that it is on track to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by 80% from 2000 levels by 2050.
Post time: Apr-03-2019
