Celebrating a new Frontier: Duke Energy Renewables hosts dedication ceremony for 200-megawatt Oklahoma wind project

- State Rep. John Pfeiffer keynoted at the May 31 event

- Frontier Wind is comprised of 3.3 MW turbines and the largest Vestas blades installed to date in the U.S.

News provided by

Jun 01, 2017, 08:00 ET

CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 100 supporters attended a dedication ceremony May 31 for Duke Energy Renewables' Frontier Windpower Project, a 200-megawatt (MW) facility near Blackwell, Oklahoma.

State Rep. John Pfeiffer, who was the keynote speaker at the event, said, "Wind energy is progressive and beneficial to the economy of Oklahoma. I'm grateful to companies like Duke Energy Renewables that are unlocking the potential of this important resource to the benefit of our state."

"The support of community leaders, landowners, vendors and our customer, City Utilities of Springfield, made a project of this scale possible," said Rob Caldwell, president, Duke Energy Renewables and Distributed Energy Technology. "After celebrating the success of the Frontier project, we are exploring the potential of bringing more wind power to Oklahoma."

The wind facility, located in Kay County, became operational in late December 2016. City Utilities of Springfield, Mo., is purchasing the power from the Frontier Windpower Project under a 22-year agreement.

"The partnership that we have developed with Frontier and Duke is one that has helped to secure the foundation for Springfield's energy demands of the future," said Scott Miller, general manager, City Utilities of Springfield, "Changes in power generation sources have been very quick, and we're excited to be able to offer this level of renewable resource to our customers at the same time we retire some of our older generation sources."

Duke Energy Renewables partnered with the Blackwell Industrial Authority for Frontier's operations and maintenance building.

"Rarely does a project, by design, have a multigenerational economic impact on a region like Duke Energy Renewables' Frontier wind farm," said John Robertson, executive director of Blackwell Industrial Authority. "Blackwell, Oklahoma, is fortunate to have been selected for their operations, assuring decades of high-tech jobs and investment in our rural location."

The 200-MW Frontier Wind produces enough emissions-free electricity to power about 60,000 average homes.

Vestas supplied 61 V126-3.3 MW turbines for the site.

Video available: Visit Duke Energy's illumination site to download a 60-second time lapse video at http://illumination.duke-energy.com/articles/oklahoma-project-captures-the-power-of-the-wind. Still photos available upon request.

About Duke Energy Renewables

Duke Energy Renewables, part of Duke Energy's Commercial Portfolio, is a leader in developing innovative wind and solar energy generation projects for customers throughout the United States. The company's growing portfolio of commercial renewable assets includes 20 wind projects and 55 solar facilities in operation in more than a dozen states, totaling about 2,900 megawatts in electric-generating capacity.

Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

About City Utilities of Springfield

City Utilities of Springfield (CU) is a progressive, community-owned utility serving southwest Missouri with electricity, natural gas, water, broadband and transit services. CU has a diverse electric supply resource mix including coal, natural gas, wind, solar, landfill methane, and hydroelectric. CU provides electricity to 111,000 customers in our community.

Duke Energy media contact: Tammie McGee
800.559.3853

City Utilities of Springfield media contact: Joel Alexander
417.831.8902

SOURCE Duke Energy