American Electric Power said Monday its Traverse Wind Energy Center, the last of three Oklahoma wind projects with a total capacity of 1.5 GW, is generating energy for customers in Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma.
The 998-MW Traverse Center is the largest of the $2 billion North Central Energy Facilities’ three wind farms. The Sundance Wind Energy Center (199 MW) and the Maverick Wind Energy Center (287 MW) began commercial operation in April and September of last year, respectively.
Collectively, the wind farms are among the world’s largest wind facilities. AEP said they will save customers an estimated $3 billion in electricity costs over the next 30 years.
“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,” AEP CEO Nick Akins said in a statement.
AEP subsidiaries Southwestern Electric Power Co. and Public Service Company of Oklahoma have taken ownership of the three wind farms after Invenergy completed their development. Invenergy Services will provide operations and maintenance services as part of a 10-year agreement.
AEP is investing $8.2 billion in regulated renewables and nearly $25 billion through 2026 to modernize grid systems, improve reliability and resilience, and provide more emissions-free energy. It plans to add about 14.5 GW of wind and solar in its regulated states by 2030 as part of a goal to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
