SWEPCO seeks 1,200 megawatts of wind energy projects

Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO), a utility company of Columbus, Ohio-based American Electric Power (AEP), will request proposals for up to 1,200 megawatts of wind energy projects to be in commercial operation by Dec. 15, 2021. SWEPCO announced Monday (Jan. 7) the request for proposals.

Each proposed project must have at least 100 megawatts of generating capacity and proposals are due March 1. SWEPCO looks to acquire new or existing projects that qualify for at least 80% of the federal Production Tax Credit.

“SWEPCO continues to see strong customer interest in more renewable energy to meet their sustainability and renewable energy goals,” said Malcolm Smoak, president and chief operating officer for SWEPCO. “At the same time, SWEPCO is seeking proposals that will save customers money and further diversify our energy resource mix.”

Projects must be located in and connected to regional transmission organization Southwest Power Pool’s grid in Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas or Oklahoma. Applications and more information are available online at SWEPCO.com/RFP.

SWEPCO plans to increase its use of renewable energy, including wind and solar, over the next 20 years. Last year, AEP canceled the proposed 2,000-megawatt Wind Catcher project the day after the Public Utility Commission of Texas denied it. The $4.5 billion project, which had been approved by Arkansas regulators, would have been the largest wind farm in the United States and the second largest in the world. A 350-mile transmission line would have connected the wind farm in the Oklahoma panhandle to a substation near Tulsa to deliver power across the region. SWEPCO currently has 469 megawatts of wind energy capacity in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.