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September 18, 2008

OG&E hosts discussion

©6?¬?s about wind power dominated an invitational citizen’s round table sensing session hosted by OG&E; Wednesday afternoon at K-Bob’s in Woodward.

The session was an opportunity for the company to reach out with not only information about the quickly growing business of wind energy, but also other technologies that the company is approaching that could create savings for its customers, said Gill Broyles, OG&E; spokesman.

According to Broyles, on the horizon is something called smart power technology that would allow customers to identify the cheapest times to run certain electrical devices in their homes.

“For instance, maybe you set your thermostat on 78 all day but in the evening, when you are there and it is at a time when it costs less to produce that power, then you may set your thermostat on 74,” Broyles explained.

It is one small example of how technologies available to be employed in homes soon could help consumers save money on their bill and conserve power, Broyles said.

Broyles also discussed information regarding new car technologies that have emerged such as the car known as the Tesla, a car priced over the $100,000 price range, he said--but full of promising technology that could ultimately trickle down in a way average wage earners could benefit.

Broyles also discussed the proposal the utility has before the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, which would allow them to purchase a 1, 230 megawatt compressed natural gas facility near Luther that would allow the utility to ramp up its baseline power production.

Baseline power production must keep up with growing needs since wind energy alone is not predictable and cannot handle the load.

“That plant, combined with the increased wind energy will allow us to avoid building any more production capacity for another 15 to 20 years,” Broyles said.

The request to the Corporation Commission asked for the recouping of $434.5 million, which the company estimated would cost OG&E; customers using 1, 000 kilowatt hour of electricity per month about $2.82 cents per month, according to a story in the Tulsa World dated March 21, 2008.

But most discussion Wednesday was regarding wind energy, a subject that drew many questions from how Woodward could benefit from the industry to how individuals could benefit if someone chose to build their own private wind energy system.

Broyles updated the attendees on plans to build a 300 megawatt wind facility south of Woodward and the transmission project that will extend from Piedmont to Woodward and later from Woodward to Guymon and from Woodward to Kansas.

To provide some comparison, the wind farm known as Centennial near Fort Supply is a 120 megawatt facility and the Sooner facility north of Woodward is a 50 megawatt facility, Broyles said.

Broyles spent the better part of an hour, though, on questions regarding the impact to landowners who might be affected by transmission lines or wind farm construction.

Most notable were questions regarding the impact to landowners who are being approached by a litany of companies hoping to lease their land for the further development of wind energy here.

“If you are being approached by a company that wants to lease your land for wind farm development or easements, it would be advisable to get an attorney to represent you,” Broyles said. “It is a little like the wild-west with regard to this right now. It is a buyer beware kind of market.”

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