ORU REPORT
The evolution of Western Farmers and member cooperatives towards zero carbon energy
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arbon free resources have been a part of Western Farmers Electric Cooperative’s (WFEC, OEC's wholesale power provider) wholesale power mix for many years, with development and growth playing essential roles in providing a diversified portfolio. Hydro power was among the first zero carbon energy source to be included in WFEC’s portfolio. The hydro power generation generally came from the Southwest Power Administration (SWPA) and Corps of Engineer resources in eastern Oklahoma, northeast Arkansas and southwest Missouri. In 2000, outside of these hydro resources, the remainder of the energy provided to our members was from fossil fuel generation, which was a mix of coal and natural gas. After the new millennium, WFEC’s board of trustees began to consider the possibilities of wind energy as a new power source, (solar was not available at the time), and if adding these resources would over time lower the wholesale power cost to our members. In 2001, WFEC sold approximately 5,425 gigawatt-hours (GWh) to its members at a cost of 4.9 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) delivered to the low side of substation delivery locations.
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Oklahoma Electric Co-op News • May 2020
