Manufacturers of wind and solar power equipment now have another great reason to "Power up in Oklahoma." With the Oklahoma Corporation Commission’s recent approval of Public Service Company of Oklahoma’s (PSO) Wind and Solar Manufacturers Tariff, producers of wind and solar power equipment can now receive a discount on their electric bill.
 
The tariff offers a three-year, 30 percent discount on demand charges to manufacturers who locate in PSO’s service area and are primarily engaged in the production of wind and solar equipment, including wind turbines, solar cells, and related components.
 
PSO Economic Development Manager, Janet Smith, says the 30 percent discount on electric demand equals an approximate 10 percent overall discount on each month’s electric bill.
 
"Our new rate is a tool that can be used by Oklahoma communities working to attract green jobs and it provides manufacturers another reason to take advantage of our state’s central location, lower-cost transportation and career-ready workforce," said Smith.
 
With PSO already the leading distributor of wind energy in Oklahoma, Smith says the Solar and Wind Manufacturers Tariff further demonstrates the utility’s support of renewable energy.
 
"Oklahoma is one of the nation’s top wind energy producers, and offers as much solar potential as Southern California, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, which makes our state the perfect location for manufacturers of such equipment. Offering this discount on electricity makes the idea of locating or expanding in PSO’s service territory even more attractive."
 
Conditions of service of the new Wind and Solar Manufacturers Tariff require that new, eligible customers have a demand greater than 100 kW, or that existing customers add at least 100 kW of demand.
 
For more information about PSO’s Solar and Wind Manufacturing Tariff contact Janet Smith, Economic Development manager, 918-599-2405 or jpsmith1@aep.com.
 
PSO, a unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), is an electric utility company serving approximately 530,000 customers in eastern and southwestern Oklahoma. Based in Tulsa, PSO has 4,405 megawatts of generating capacity, and is the largest provider of wind energy in the state.