Wind Transmission in the Oklahoma Panhandle takes a Step Closer

July 2, 2011

Thursday in Oklahoma City, Administrative Law Judge, Jacqueline T. Miller filed her report and recommendations to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission regarding Clean Line Energy’s application for utility status.
In 2010 Clean Line Energy, a Houston based company filed an application with the OCC to become a utility in Oklahoma. They have plans to construct the Plains and Eastern Clean Line, an 800-mile HVDC transmission line from Texas County, Oklahoma to Tennessee to distribute clean energy to the east coast grid system through the TVA. Although there are wind farms in Oklahoma already, there is minimal activity in the panhandle region due to the lack of transmission capability. Just in the three counties of the Oklahoma Panhandle alone we have around 10,000 MW of untapped renewable potential … this doesn’t include the surrounding potential in southwest Kansas and northern Texas. The Plains and Eastern Clean Line project will allow this renewable energy to finally be captured by wind farm developers and distributed to customers across the United States.
In Judge Miller’s recommendations she states, “Plains and Eastern Clean Line Oklahoma LLC (“Clean Line”) is a public utility as that term is defined by Okla. Stat. tit. 17, ss 151, thereby subjecting it to this Commission’s jurisdiction as found at Okla. Stat. tit. 17, ss ss 152 and 153, except as preempted by federal law.” Miller’s recommendations go on to say, “Clean Line possesses the financial, managerial and technical experience to build, own and operate transmission in Oklahoma.” In item number eight of the report she states her recommendation that, “The Commission enter an Order (1) granting Clean Line authority to operate as an electric transmission-only public utility providing wholesale bulk electricity transmission services within the State of Oklahoma.” Item nine recommends, “The Commission find that the Clean Line is a corporation that now or hereafter may own, operate, or manage any plant or equipment, or any part thereof, directly or indirectly, for public use, or may supply any commodity to be furnished to the public for the production, transmission, delivery or furnishing electric current for light, heat or power as required by ss 151 for “public utility” status.”
This is a great day for those of us in the panhandle region. Although this is a great next step in our future of quality jobs, ad valorem taxes for our schools and economic diversification through a renewable energy source, there is still much work to be done. Judge Miller’s recommendations will be considered by the three Corporation Commissioners who will then have to give their final decision on the ruling. We encourage everyone interested to continue to voice their support to the Corporation Commissioners.
For a complete reading of Judge Miller’s report or other filings in the Clean Line case, you can go directly to the OCC website and review PUD 201000075. For questions or information on economic development across the panhandle region contact PREDCI Director, Vicki Ayres-McCune at 338-8500.