As an 80 megawatt wind farm opens in Nebraska, wind-backers from Oklahoma are in Europe seeking backing for similar projects in their own state.
In northeast Nebraska, the 80-megawatt Elkhorn Ridge wind farm was built by Edison Mission Group Inc.
Nebraska's largest wind farm, its electricity is sold to the Nebraska Public Power District. Omaha-based Tenaska owns about a third of the operation, which has 27 turbines and can power up to 25,000 homes, according to a Forbes article.
Meanwhile, energy leaders from Oklahoma are on a mission to bring wind power projects to their state. Currently, they are visiting the 2009 European Wind Energy Conference in Marseilles, France.
Oklahoma wishes to position itself as a producer of equipment to generate electricity from wind, as well as a research hub, said Secretary of Commerce and Tourism Natalie Shirley.
The state aims to create 7,000 jobs by 2014 and up to 18,000 jobs by 2019, she said.
In addition to commerce officials, the Oklahoma delegation includes representatives of Ardmore Development Authority, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, the Tulsa Metro Chamber of Commerce and OG&E Electric Services, according to a Forbes article.
Dell's Oklahoma City campus is entirely powered by wind.
