State adds most wind power capacity in first quarter

Oklahoma added the most wind power capacity among all states in the first quarter, the American Wind Energy Association said Thursday.

The industry group’s first-quarter market report showed Oklahoma adding almost 270 megawatts of wind capacity, bringing the state’s total to 5,453 megawatts. Oklahoma remained in fourth place among states for total wind capacity.

Overall, 520 megawatts of wind capacity came online in the first quarter, the association said. The United States has total capacity of 74,512 megawatts.

Two projects developed by Apex Clean Energy entered service in the first quarter in Oklahoma. The Grant Wind project, owned by Southern Power, has almost 152 megawatts over 66 turbines in Grant County. The Kingfisher Wind project, owned by First Reserve, finished 118 megawatts of its total capacity of 298 megawatts.

The first quarter is typically a slow quarter for wind additions, with historical activity tied to the swings related to past uncertainty of the federal production tax credit. The federal incentive was extended at the end of last year in a year-end spending bill that paired it with the lifting of the ban on exports of crude oil.

Oklahoma was followed by Iowa (154 megawatts), Utah (62 megawatts), New Mexico (32 megawatts) and Ohio (1.5 megawatts) in first-quarter capacity additions.

Building more projects

Meanwhile, the association said Oklahoma has 880 megawatts of wind under construction. Neighboring Texas has more than 5,480 megawatts under construction, while Kansas had 553 megawatts under construction.

The association said five Oklahoma projects were under construction in the first quarter: Bluestem in Beaver County; Drift Sand in Grady County; Frontier in Kay County; Grant Plains in Grant County; and Great Western in Woodward and Ellis counties.