KIOWA COUNTY, Okla_Record high temperatures in the first six months of the year are raising concerns that there might not be adequate electricity to meet demand. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas warned residents that blackouts could occur if there is a drop in electric generation or record high temperatures this summer.
Every time you flip the switch you expect the lights to come on, it's such a habit that even when you know you've lost power, you still find yourself flipping the switch anyway. Nobody can promise you'll have power 100 percent of the time, but power companies in Oklahoma said they are ready to meet demand.
There are 93 new wind turbines here in Kiowa and Washita counties, generating power for Western Farmers Electric Cooperative, which keeps the lights on and the A/C running for many in our area. The added capacity helps, but Oklahoma power companies were already prepared for a long hot summer.
"We're in what's called a reliability organization that tries to make sure there is adequate capacity, adequate transmission to deliver that capacity, over about an eight state region. Utilities help each other out and support each other," Vice President of Western Farmers Electric Cooperative Brian Hobbs said.
The support from other utility companies during record high temps in Oklahoma means it's highly unlikely that blackouts will happen here. Power generation diversification helps too. Like most power companies in the U.S., Western Farmers gets its power from a mix of sources including coal, natural gas, hydro power and wind power.
"With the addition of this wind facility about 16% of our energy on an annual basis will come from wind generation throughout western Oklahoma."
The Rocky Ridge Wind Facility, which became fully operational a few days ago, can generate about 150 megawatts, which is enough power for about 40,000 homes every year. Its renewable, its clean energy, environmentally friendly, but not always reliable.
"This wind farm can be producing at full capacity or near full capacity and 10 minutes later be producing zero, when the wind stops. You have to have other generators that can immediately start picking up that load because the load doesn't go away."
Hobbs said they have the generators they need to meet demand. If there was a need for more juice, they could always get a little help from other utility companies.
