Southwestern Electric Power Co., (SWEPCO), an American Electric Power company, has received approval from the Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) to acquire up to 999 MW of renewable generation resources to meet projected power needs and protect customers from fluctuating energy costs.
One solar and two wind projects will be constructed by Invenergy and acquired by SWEPCO. The three projects identified through a competitive bidding process are Mooringsport, a 200 MW solar facility in Louisiana, Diversion, a 200.6 MW wind facility in Texas, and Wagon Wheel, a 598.4 MW wind project located in various Oklahoma counties.
"SWEPCO's analysis of our generation needs showed that the lowest cost, best value option for capacity was adding wind and solar resources," said Brett Mattison, SWEPCO president and Chief Operating Officer.
SWEPCO's generation resource expansion comes after new rules from transmission grid organization Southwest Power Pool requiring additional generation capacity built to support reliability.
SWEPCO is facing a capacity deficit in 2023 that will increase to 1,574 MW in 2028 with the retirement of its aging generation units. SWEPCO intends to explore more opportunities to add generation capacity in the coming years.
SWEPCO aims for more than one-third of its SPP-accredited capacity to be fulfilled by solar and wind resources. Currently, three wind farms in north-central Oklahoma deliver renewable energy to SWEPCO's Louisiana and Arkansas customers.
