Published: October 29, 2008 10:56 pm         

State is poised to be at center of alternative energy

Wind is the leading alternative energy source in the nation and its development could result in hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars of investment.

Oklahoma is in the middle of the wind belt, where most of the investment will be made.

Those points were driven home Wednesday during a wind energy seminar at Autry Technology Center. Representatives of American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) and other organizations spoke to a large crowd of civic and area leaders.

Oilman T. Boone Pickens has become a national spokesman on the importance of wind energy and is developing a large number of followers across the country, said Susan Sloan, of AWEA.

The middle part of the United States has 4 million megawatts of potential wind energy, according to AWEA statistics. Oklahoma currently has 689 megawatts of wind power capacity installed, which can generate enough electricity to power more than 190,000 American homes. Another 142 million megawatts is under construction in the state.

In addition to the energy generated, harnessing wind power could result in jobs for the state. Brad Lystra, of AWEA, said there are 8,000 components in a wind turbine, creating the opportunity for manufacturing in Oklahoma.

Former state Rep. Curt Roggow, now a lobbyist for the wind energy industry, said there are many opportunities for manufacturing companies in Oklahoma. Two Oklaho-ma companies, Trinity Structural Towers and DMI, both of Tulsa, already are manufacturing wind energy equipment. Trinity employs 130 people, and DMI employs 200, with plans for a $30 million expansion that will add 350 jobs.

Also, Oklahoma utility companies are looking to increase the amount of wind power they purchase. Public Service Co. of Oklahoma plans to buy the output from 200 megawatts of wind power by 2010. OG&E Electric Services filed a renewable energy program with the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, outlining its commitment to add 600 megawatts of wind capacity by 2012, along with the transmission necessary to deliver the power to customers.

At Wednesday’s seminar, John Little, area manager for OG&E, said the company plans to build transmission lines from Oklahoma City to Woodward, to link up with a wind farm there. OG&E also plans a partnership with another company to extend the lines north to the state border.

The average cost to electric customers for the additional development would be an estimated 50 cents per customer per month. However, Little said if using wind power allows companies to reduce their operating costs by using less natural gas and less water — common in the generating of electricity — the operating cost side of the bill could decline.

A report by the U.S. Department of Energy, with assistance from National Renewable Energy Laboratory, AWEA, Black & Veatch and others from the energy sector found during the decade preceding 2030, the wind industry could support about 500,000 jobs in the United States with more than 150,000 directly employed by the wind industry. More than 100,000 job will be supported in associated industries, plus 200,000 jobs would be created through economic expansion based on local spending.

Annual property tax revenues will increase by $1.5 billion nationally by 2030, and annual payments to landowners will increase more than $600 million.

Phillip Moore, of Re-newable Energy Systems’ Enid office, said the Texas Comptroller’s Office estimated one permanent job for every 15 megawatts of wind power created. A 150 megawatt project would involve 75 to 100 towers, Moore said.

During construction, there would be about 200 people employed, plus jobs created and considerable investment in the community.

A 150 megawatt project would generate about $350 million in taxes with a large portion of that amount going to taxes for local schools and governments, he said.

“Wind towers are usually taxed as improvements to the land, and the county and school districts benefit,” he said.

RES develops sites and also constructs wind farms. Moore said RES subcontracts work to local companies as much as possible. The wind farms develop power, which is then sold in Oklahoma to OG&E or PSO, he said.

Each tower has a generator inside, plus a small transformer. The electricity produced by a tower goes through underground cable to a collection substation owned by RES, where it is increased to a higher voltage and sent on a transfer line to the main transfer line to the utility purchasing the power.

Among the big challenges nationally is the lack of a supply chain from region-to-region. Oklahoma electricity goes into the southwest power pool, and can be transferred to other power regions of the county. However, Lystra, said the power industry is facing shortages of wind turbine components, as demand for wind power increases.