The Oklahoma Corporation Commission has set a special meeting for May 22 regarding a proposed $325 million customer savings plan as part of an effort by Missouri-based Empire District electric Company to shut down a coal-fired power plant and replace it with wind power.
In the cause No. PUD 201700471, the hearing will be held at 10 am. in the Corporation Commission headquarters in Oklahoma City. The hearing by an Administrative Law Judge will focus on approval of the company’s Customer Savings Plan. No vote is anticipated.
The hearing will focus on a joint stipulation and settlement agreement that proposed the savings for customers over 20-years. Residential customers would see a savings of about $10 a month beginning in 2020.
The agreement stems from the Company’s Oct. 31, 2017 filing in which Empire proposed acquiring up to 800 megaatts of located wind generation using federal tax incentives in conjuntion with tax equity partners. At the same time, the company wants to retire a coal-fired unit that will require significant capital investment by April 2019 in order to remain in compliance with environmental regulations.
Empire, in the agreement stated it was not seeking the recovery of any costs in the move and is in the process of conducting a competitive solicitation for the wind projects. It did not identify the wind projects except to state that they are to be located in the southwest Power Pool footprint.
The company has lease options on nearly 40,000 acres in southwest Missouri where it could create several wind farms.
The entire agreement is dependent also on approval form the state of Missouri. If Missouri doesn’t sign off on the deal, then the agreement with Oklahoma is null and void.
Empire announced last November it was shutting down the Asbury coal-burning plant by April 2019.
Empire District serves 218,000 customers in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. The rate hike request filed in 2016 would affect 4,689 customers in 10 cities and towns in Ottawa, Delaware and Craig counties of northeastern Oklahoma.January 2017. Liberty is wholly owned by algonquinPower and Utilities Corp. headquartered in Canadan.
