Texas Company Aims to Send Wind Power from Panhandle to Tennessee

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – The Oklahoma Corporation Commission is

considering granting public utility status to a Texas company that

wants to build an electricity transmission system from wind energy

farms in the Oklahoma Panhandle to Tennessee.

The three-member commission will meet Friday in Oklahoma City to

consider giving Clean Line Energy of Houston status as an

electricity transmission-only public utility in the state.

Clean Line wants to build a $3.5 billion electricity

transmission system across Oklahoma and Arkansas to serve western

Tennessee. Some local private property owners had opposed the

company’s request because conferring public utility status might

give the company eminent domain authority to acquire land for the

project.

The commission’s proposed order says it does not confer eminent

domain status on Clean Line and that it did not consider that

issue.