(TB&P) — Oklahoma Gas & Electric, which has more than 800,000 customers in Oklahoma and western Arkansas, is joining Entergy Corp. and other top U.S. regulated utilities in announcing new strategic plans to reduce coal use, lower carbon emissions and offer cleaner renewable energy options across its two-state footprint.
Last week, the Oklahoma City-based utility announced that, pending approval from Oklahoma regulators and the Arkansas Public Service Commission (PSC), it will pay $53 million to acquire the Shady Point plant near Poteau, Okla., and the Oklahoma Cogeneration plant in Oklahoma City. OG&E Chairman and CEO Sean Trauschke said the two acquisitions will help the Oklahoma utility meet the growing needs of its customers and to replace capacity currently provided by power purchase contracts set to expire in 2019.
“In the past five years, we’ve completed several critical projects that advance our commitment to deliver energy reliably and affordably to customers in an environmentally responsible way. Today’s announcement builds on that commitment,” said Trauschke. “Our diverse energy portfolio of natural gas, wind, solar and coal gives us the versatility to meet a variety of economic and environmental needs. The result is our electric rates are 29% below the national average, which is a driver of economic development, and OG&E is among industry leaders in emissions reduction performance. Many of our peer companies will not match our level of emissions reduction for years, if not a decade or more.”
For more information about OG&E’s plan to reduce coal-fired power in Arkansas and Oklahoma visit our partners at Talk Business & Politics.
