The U.S. Department of Energy, together with the American Public Power Association (APPA), have recognized the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority (OMPA) and Silicon Valley Power (SVP) of Santa Clara, California, as the winners of the 2014 Public Power Wind Awards.
The awards, presented at the APPA National Conference in Denver, Colorado, recognize publicly owned utilities that demonstrate outstanding leadership in advancing wind power in the U.S.
Silicon Valley Power received the award in the public power utility category for its 30-year, sustained commitment to acquiring, developing, and integrating wind energy in Santa Clara. The utility built a 20 MW wind farm that has provided affordable power to Santa Clara customers for over 25 years. Silicon Valley Power provides its customers with renewable energy at the lowest average rate in the state of California, and maintains a 13.8 percent wind energy mix.
OMPA received the award for steadily building its renewable energy portfolio in an effort to support its members’ green power initiatives. It was the first commercial power company to offer wind power to municipal customers in Oklahoma and, in 2011, OMPA purchased more than 49 MW of wind generating capacity, bringing their wind energy generation to 14 percent of their total annual power production.
— Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy
