Wind turbine spins savings for city

The Guthrie Waste Water Treatment Plant hides on the northern part of the town and many do not think about the day-to-day operations, but one aspect is aiding the plant, city and citizens on a daily basis.

In April 2009, the City of Guthrie was awarded a grant from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce to place a wind turbine at the plant. Now, it has spent the last two years generating power and saving the city money.

The turbine was installed of Sept. 2011 and according to city officials in its first year generated 126,387 kilowatt-hours (kwh) and in the second year generated 125,164 kwh. For each kwh, six cents is generated.

During times that the wind levels produce sufficient power to supply the plant with energy, it saves the city from purchasing power from OG&E. During times that the wind levels are lower, OG&E provides some or all power for the plant.

Utility providers have found that wind power reduces the need for generating electricity from natural gas or coal-fired power plants. When factoring in the cost to integrate wind power with their systems over time, utilizing wind energy still results in an overall cost savings which helps to lower the rates for their customers.