A poll released by Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) today showed thata majority of registered voters in Louisiana support the proposed Wind Catcher Energy Connection project and renewable energy development.
SWEPCO, a unit of American Electric Power (AEP), revealed the following poll numbers:
- 67% of registered voters support the Wind Catcher project because of its opportunity to reduce customers’ electric bills, bring clean and affordable energy to homes and businesses, and add diversity to the generation resources serving Louisiana.
- 62% of registered voters support the Wind Catcher project because SWEPCO customers would save $4 billion over the 25-year life of the project.
- 77% of registered voters support the development of wind and other renewable sources of energy in order to keep energy costs low.
“Affordable electricity, renewable energy and diverse energy resources are important to folks all across Louisiana, as demonstrated by this poll,” said Brian Bond, vice president of External Affairs for SWEPCO. “SWEPCO’s 230,000 customers in Louisiana stand to benefit from the proposed Wind Catcher project through cost savings, renewable energy investments, and continuing our strategy of energy resource diversity. This poll demonstrates Wind Catcher’s value to local consumers as the Louisiana Public Service Commission reviews the project.”
Wind Catcher Energy Connection is a major wind farm and a dedicated power line project to bring low-cost, clean, reliable energy to SWEPCO customers. The project includes the purchase of a 2,000-megawatt wind farm under construction in the Oklahoma Panhandle, and construction of a dedicated power line that will carry the wind energy to the Tulsa, Oklahoma area, where the existing grid will deliver energy to SWEPCO customers. The project will save SWEPCO customers more than $4 billion over the 25-year life of the wind farm, compared to the projected costs of buying power on the open market.
The poll of 882 Louisiana registered voters was conducted through automated phone calls from March 31- April 4 and the results were downweighted to 400 respondents to ensure proportional responses. The margin of error at the 95% confidence level is ±3.3 points. The poll was conducted by Lincoln Park Strategies, an independent analytic research firm.
The Wind Catcher Energy Connection project is subject to regulatory approvals in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas as well as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
