Missouri Public Service Commission approves new wind facilities

The Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC) recently granted certificates of convenience and necessity (CCN) to the Empire District Electric Company (Empire) to build several new wind generation facilities.

The PSC granted CCNs for two wind generation facilities located in the Missouri counties of Barton, Dade, Jasper, and Lawrence. The facilities, Kings Point and North Fork Ridge, each have a capacity of up to 150 megawatts (MWs). The PSC also granted Empire a CCN to build a wind generation facility of up to 301 MWs, known as Neosho Ridge, located in Neosho County, Kan.

Thee applications filed by Empire included requests for authority to construct, own, and operate the related transmission interconnection assets and approval of using federal tax incentives in conjunction with a tax equity partnership structure to finance the wind projects.

“By utilizing a tax equity partnership,” the PSC said. “Empire has the opportunity to bring $169 million of savings to customers over the 20-year IRP (Integrated Resource Plan) period, and up to $295 million in customer savings over a 30-year period.”

The Commission also noted other benefits in addition to cost savings for customers, including adding diversity to Missouri’s energy generation mix, providing renewable energy and providing local and state economic benefits such as jobs, property taxes, and land lease payments.

“Wind generation also helps corporations in Missouri to perform more competitively, as there is an emergence of corporate customer interest in renewable energy and corporations are seeking increased options for purchasing renewable power,” the PSC said.

The wind projects also provide a replacement for expiring wind generation contracts, the PSC said, giving Empire control over those wind generation assets and continuing to provide value for their expected lifetime, which is longer than the 20-year term of a typical purchased power agreement.