Maverick Wind Farm Begins Commercial Operation

Recently, the second of three wind farms started commercial operations in central Oklahoma, marking a major milestone in a project that exemplifies the future direction of American Electric Power.

Southwest of Enid, Okla., 103 GE Renewable wind turbines are now operating at the 287-megawatt (MW) Maverick Wind Farm – part of three North Central Energy facilities that will eventually provide clean energy for 440,000 homes in Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Invenergy is developing the facilities, which are being purchased after completion by Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) and Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO).

The 199-MW Sundance Wind Farm began commercial operations in April. The third and largest, the 999-MW Traverse Wind Farm, is under construction and should go into operation in early 2022. Traverse will provide two-thirds of the capacity for the North Central Energy Facilities.

“Today, a total of about 16,300 megawatts of renewable generation are interconnected across AEP’s transmission system,” said Paul Chodak, executive vice president, Generation. “In line with AEP’s strategic vision and its commitment to energy sustainability, we are transforming our Generation fleet to reduce fossil fuel capacity and advance toward clean energy to position for the future. It is with much excitement that we see the startup of operations at Maverick Wind Farm.”

“The North Central Energy Facilities project was only possible through much collaboration across AEP and with Invenergy,” said Antonio Smyth, senior vice president, Grid Solutions. “Kudos to our teams which also worked hard to obtain approvals from regulators in Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas – as well as from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

After Traverse Wind Farm begins commercial operations early next year, more than 500 wind turbines at the three facilities will produce nearly 1,500 MW of clean energy for PSO and SWEPCO customers – saving them an estimated $3 billion over the lifetime of the project. Some of the energy will support wholesale customers and provide additional capacity for future economic development in these regions.