July 28, 2018
Oklahoma

Residents and PSO react to cancellation of Wind Catcher energy project

By Burt Mummolo | KTUL | ktul.com

Lonni St. John was feeling accomplished as she pulled up the “No Wind Catcher” signs from her front yard. Once planted in protest, now removed in relief.

“When I got the news, I cried,” she said. “I cried ugly tears, I was so happy.”

A joy shared across multiple cities.

“Everybody’s just pumped, I mean just beyond belief happy,” said Maurice Storm.

He and St. John became the face of resistance in Bixby, which ultimately led PSO to change their plans for the area. And now comes the news that the entire project has been scrapped.

“It’s a great outcome for everybody except PSO,” said Storm.

“Certainly we’re disappointed that were not going to have the opportunity to save our customers $2 billion over the next 25 years,” said PSO spokesman Stan Whiteford.

While the economics of the project became an important focal point, Storm says there was more to it.

“It was just massive corporate greed disguised as green energy and consumer benefits,” he said.

The project stumbled when it came to dealing with the public.

“They treated us all really bad, you don’t treat people that way and I think it was just good against evil,” said St. John.

“It’s hard to believe that with the kind of lobbying budget that these guys have to buy influence in state governments and regulatory affairs, that they still couldn’t get it done,” Storm said. “I think that tells you a lot about the project, with all they had on the line, it still was such a bad idea that they couldn’t convince anybody to do it.”

Neither side sees it as a criticism of wind energy itself.

“I don’t think this is a statement about clean energy one way or another,” said Whiteford.

“It was not about green energy, it never was about green energy, it’s about profit,” said St. John.

PSO is turning the page and moving forward.

“We want our customers to know that we’re going to continue to look for ways to serve them as best we can,” said Whiteford.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2018/07/28/residents-and-pso-react-to-cancellation-of-wind-catcher-energy-project/