Gulf Power has a hearing today before the Florida Public Service Commission on its petition of it negotiated Energy Purchase Agreement (Agreement) with Morgan Stanley Capital Group Inc for additinonal 94 megawatts of wind energy from the Kingfisher Wind farm in Oklahoma.
Gulf Power is already a leading purchaser of wind generation among Florida utilities. Gulf Power’s original Kingfisher Wind project was approved in May 2015 and has been producing this year 178 megawatts of wind-generated energy. The second agreement involving the Kingfisher Wind project would add an additional 94 megawatts of wind energy to its energy mix, for a total of 272 megawatts.
Located in Oklahoma, the Kingfisher Wind project has a total of 136 wind turbines capable of producing enough energy to power approximately 77,150 homes for a year.
According documents filed with the PSC, Gulf Power has reasonably demonstrated that the agreement will likely produce savings of $21 million and will encourage the development of renewable energy.
The PSC staff recommends that the Public Service Commission approve Gulf Power’s petition.
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Meanwhile, The News Service of Florida reports that Gulf Power contributed $75,000 in September to the Consumers for Smart Solar, the group pushing Amendment 1. The proposed constitutional amendment, which will appear on the November ballot, has drawn opposition from environmentalists and some other groups. If approved by voters, the initiative largely would put into the state Constitution existing rules on the use of solar energy in Florida