Governor applauds Oklahoma State University's energy leadership

The state of Oklahoma has adopted Oklahoma State University’s model to improve energy efficiency of state buildings, Gov. Mary Fallin said Friday.

All state buildings must improve energy efficiency by 20 percent, the governor said.

State officials realized those goals could be achieved because they monitored OSU’s energy conservation efforts. Since July 2007, OSU has saved more ethan $22 million systemwide through conservation efforts.

“OSU has been such a great leader in efficiency,” Fallin said, “whether it has been the use of wind power to power this campus, whether it has been the use of compressed natural gas vehicles.”The university has converted all its transit/community buses to compressed natural gas and added 90 CNG vehicles to its fleet.

Friday, Oklahoma State University announced that wind power was producing 67 percent of the electricity needed to power the Stillwater campus.

Cowboy Wind Farm, near Blackwell, uses 26 wind turbines to generate electricity. The wind farm has a 60-megawatt capacity. The wind farm was completed in December 2012. It started generating electricity on Jan. 1. Natural gas helps fill the remaining power needs for the Stillwater campus.

Friday, OSU president Burns Hargis, Gov. Mary Fallin and OGE Energy Corp. Chairman/CEO/President Pete Delaney “flipped the switch” to celebrate the use of wind energy as the Stillwater campus’ main source of energy.

“The Cowboy Wind Farm is just another way OSU is showing its commitment to use or natural resources wisely and efficiently,” Hargis said. “As a land-grant university, we have an historic responsibility to lead the way in the areas of sustainability.”