Wind turbine maker Siemens celebrated the opening of its new wind service center in Woodward on Thursday with Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin and two of its biggest customers.

“We are just thrilled that you have chosen Oklahoma,” Fallin said Thursday. (Via NewsOK)

Govornor Fallin promised the Siemens executives in attendance that "you won't find a finer community that will support your mission, your effort to be here, to stand by your side and appreciate your investments and your jobs than this community, along with all of Northwest Oklahoma and the whole state of Oklahoma."

Pete Delaney, CEO of OG&E, also spoke on Oklahoma's supportive business environment.

"This is a great state for doing business," Delaney said.  "No other state has such a powerful private and public partnership and collaboration.  So to Siemens welcome to that collaboration."

Sean Finnerty, senior vice president of renewable development for Competitive Power Ventures (CPV), agreed that "Oklahoma is a great place to do business," but added "Woodward is a really great place to do business."

Finnerty said CPV looks forward to continuing to develop its business partnership with Woodward as well as with Siemens, which will only be enhanced by having the new service distribution center close at hand in Woodward.

Tim Holt of Siemens

Tim Holt, Siemens' CEO for Renewables Service, said the energy company chose Woodward precisely because of its "great community support" as well as its "central location that makes it close to our customers so we can deliver parts and tools in a timely and cost efficient manner." (Via WoodwardNews)

City officials expect big economic impact from Siemens

Woodward Industrial Foundation President LaVern Phillips said Siemens will have a “diversification of economy” in Woodward.

“This will help move the community (of Woodward) into the future by creating additional jobs,” Phillips said.

Woodward Industrial Foundation Chair Alan Case agreed.

“Probably within the next 5 years, they (Siemens) will have 40 to 50 good paying jobs,” Case said.

Phillips said Siemens being located in Woodward was due to the hard work of the Woodward Chamber of Commerce, the City of Woodward and city commissioners, the county and county commissioners and High Plains Technology Center. 

(via WoodwardNews)

Watch video from the opening celebration:  

Via News OK 

The Crossroads wind power project will meet the electrical needs of about 70,000 average homes,” said Jesse Langston, OG&E’s vice president of retail energy. “Crossroads also will deliver significant net savings to our customers for the balance of the project’s 25-year expected life.”

Crossroads is OG&E’s third wind farm. It previously built the Centennial wind farm, which was completed in Harper County in 2007, and the OU Spirit wind farm near Woodward, which was completed in 2009. 

Read the entire article here 

Via Woodward News: 

The Germany-based Siemens Energy has announced plans for implementation of new wind service warehousing operations in Woodward.

Siemens has already been utilizing a 12,000 sq. ft. warehouse in Woodward's industrial park by the airport, but will now expand to utilize another 52,000 sq. ft. facility, according to Woodward Industrial Foundation President LaVern Phillips.

According to a Siemens press release, "with a total of 64,000 square feet, the combined main component, tooling and spare parts facilities will be Siemens' largest wind power service distribution center to date in the U.S."

Phillips said the expansion is part of efforts by Siemens to centralize their service operations for more than 250 of their wind turbines which are already in service or are in the process of being installed in the area.

"In the past, wind farms such as OU Spirit, Crossroads and Keenan 2, which all use Siemens turbines, would just stockpile parts at each location," Phillips said.

But once construction is finished to renovate the interior of the 2 buildings at the Woodward industrial park, he said Siemens will be able to "centralize those parts and have one place from which they can send out parts to all locations."

A YEAR IN THE MAKING

Siemens' announcement was made Monday morning during the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) annual convention in Anaheim, Calif.

Phillips said the announcement comes almost exactly one year after the Woodward Industrial Foundation first met with representatives with Siemens at the 2010 AWEA conference in Dallas.

Gov. Mary Fallin was in attendance for the announcement as she was leading a delegation of state energy partners at the convention as part of efforts to market Oklahoma as the place to do business for wind energy development, according to a press release from her office.

Read the entire Woodward News article

Read more coverage on the Siemens distribution center: 

News9.com, Forbes.com, NewsOK.com, 

 
via The Journal Record: 

Maryland-based CPV Renewable Energy Co. has completed construction and testing of its 152-megawatt Keenan II wind farm near Woodward. The wind farm is up and running, delivering renewable energy to thousands of Oklahoma Gas & Electric customers.

Keenan II sits on about 8,000 acres 12 miles southwest of Woodward. The project is the second phase of a large wind generation development that will ultimately have the potential to generate 350 megawatts.

“We are delighted to bring this wind farm project in on schedule and to be generating more clean energy for the people of Oklahoma,” said Sean Finnerty, head of CPV Renewable Energy Company, in a written statement. “Keenan II will provide energy and environmental benefits to people of this region for decades to come.”

The new wind farm consists of 66 Siemens 2.3-megawatt wind turbines. The turbines can produce enough electricity to power about 45,000 Oklahoma homes and eliminate 413,000 of greenhouse gas emissions each year, which is equivalent to taking about 72,000 cars off the road.

OG&E announced today that the Oklahoma Corporation Commission has approved a settlement agreement reached by all the parties to the company's application to build and operate a new wind farm in northwestern Oklahoma. Known as "Crossroads," the wind farm is expected to come online in the second half of 2011.

 "This is a good outcome resulting from collaboration of the various parties interested in the expansion of renewable energy in Oklahoma," said Jesse Langston, vice president of Utility Commercial Operations for OG&E. "We reached unanimous agreement with customer and shareholder groups, state agencies and regulatory officials which culminated in today's 3-0 Commission vote to approve the Crossroads project."

Crossroads, to be built in Dewey County near Canton, will add at least 198 megawatts of renewable generation. Pending the results of a Southwest Power Pool regional transmission study, today's Commission order allows for Crossroads to be constructed with up to 227 megawatts of generating capacity. 

The new wind farm, to be constructed by Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc. (RES Americas), will have at least 86 Siemens turbines rated at 2.3 megawatts each and will connect with OG&E's new Windspeed transmission line to Oklahoma City, which was energized earlier this year.

Read entire press release here.