OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Oklahoma’s attorney general has requested that state regulators dismiss a preapproval case for a utility that wants to build a $4.5 billion wind farm.
The motion against the Public Service Co. of Oklahoma’s Wind Catcher project was filed last week by Attorney General Mike Hunter’s public utility division, The Oklahoman reported . The motion argues the utility didn’t follow competitive bidding rules and hasn’t shown a need for new generation.
“The Attorney General’s full participation is essential, as PSO’s customers are at risk to bear the $1.36 billion cost of the Wind Catcher project if the commission grants PSO’s requested relief,” the motion said.
The motion also said the pending PSO rate case and the Wind Catcher case together could create a $250 million annual rate case increase by 2021.
“This proceeding should therefore be dismissed and commission review deferred until the Wind Catcher Project is in service and can be evaluated holistically with the rest of PSO’s operations,” the motion said.
A PSO statement said the project would save its customers money, promote investment in the state and provide additional diversity to its generation fleet.
“We believe the commission will allow the case to move forward and ultimately support the project moving forward so these benefits can be realized,” the statement said.
Public Service Co. of Oklahoma and Southwestern Electric Power Co. are planning to purchase the project but are still awaiting regulatory approvals. The utilities serve more than a million customers in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana.
___
Information from: The Oklahoman, https://www.newsok.com
Please read our comment policy before commenting.