OG&E, the electric utility subsidiary of OGE Energy Corp., has completed the construction of two 5 MW solar energy farms in southeast Oklahoma. Both centers are operating at full capacity.
In February, the company announced it would build the two solar energy centers, one in Davis, Okla,, and one in Durant, Okla., to help meet the renewable energy needs of the Chickasaw Nation and the Choctaw Nation.
Both tribes have purchased approximately 50% of each energy center’s solar output through OG&E’s solar tariff. The remaining solar capacity was made available to all customers. With the new solar farms now energized, approximately 4,600 customers are subscribed to OG&E Solar Power.
“We are grateful for our relationships with the Chickasaw Nation and Choctaw Nation and for their collaboration in bringing the benefits of solar energy to our Oklahoma communities,” says Sean Trauschke, president and CEO of OGE Energy Corp. “All of the output of these two farms is now fully subscribed. We look forward to adding additional projects as customer demand grows.”
Chickasaw Nation Solar Farm and Choctaw Nation Solar Farm facts:
-Each solar farm is located on about 35 acres of land and contains 15,344 solar panels
-The solar farms each produce 5 MW of solar energy
-The solar panels use single-axis tracking, allowing them to pivot about 60 degrees from east to west
-The two new farms, along with the company’s solar farms in Mustang, Okla., and in Covington, Okla., bring OG&E’s total solar energy acreage to more than 168 acres
Photo: The Chickasaw Solar Farm