Renewable Energy

Clean power for a brighter future.

Oklahoma’s energy expertise extends well beyond traditional energy to geothermal, solar and wind and we’re leading the way with a diverse energy plan.
Oklahoma’s energy expertise extends well beyond traditional energy to wind, solar and other renewable sources.
Wes Seaman

Meet our energy expert.

Wesley Seaman
Energy Specialist

#3 in Installed Wind Capacity

Third in the U.S. for installed wind capacity and sixth for solar potential.

40% Energy from Renewables

40% of Oklahoma’s total electricity is generated from renewable resources. At the end of 2020, Oklahoma had 10,300 MW of renewable energy capacity.

#4 in Wind Jobs

Fourth in the U.S. for wind energy employment.

Diverse Energy Portfolio

Bioenergy

Oklahoma State University’s Bio-based Products and Energy Center is enhancing productivity for potential feedstocks, improving conversion technologies and optimizing the value of
co-products and by-products.

Seaboard Energy, located in Guymon, is finding alternative energy sources, including but not limited to, the production of biodiesel, renewable natural gas and compressed natural gas.

Hydrogen

In 2021, Oklahoma launched the Hydrogen Production, Transportation and Infrastructure Task Force. As the demand for low carbon hydrogen fuel grows, Oklahoma is poised to be a leader in the hydrogen economy.

Australian energy producer Woodside is planning to develop a green hydrogen production facility in Ardmore, Okla.

Battery Storage

The largest wind, solar, and storage project in the U.S. is being built by NextEra in Northwest Oklahoma. The Skeleton Creek energy production project will include a 250 MW wind farm, 250 MW solar farm, and a 200 MW battery facility.

Spiers New Technologies Inc., located in Oklahoma City, has revolutionized the automotive industry with battery “4R” services (repair, remanufacturing, refurbishing, and repurposing) for advanced battery packs used in hybrid and electric vehicles to optimize the life cycle of their battery pack inventory and maximize its value.

Wind

With a centralized U.S. location, immediate proximity to wind projects, and a position in the heart of the wind corridor, Oklahoma is the ideal site for wind generation, tower and blade production, turbine component manufacturing, repair and maintenance operations, and industry R&D.

  • Oklahoma is home to the 2nd largest wind farm in the U.S. (Traverse Wind Energy Center)
  • Oklahoma’s manufacturers continue to expand and thrive from castings, machining, bearings and gears to forges, fabrications and suspended climbing systems, your potential suppliers are right here in Oklahoma.

Geothermal

The University of Oklahoma’s Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy received a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Dept of Energy for a study to develop technologies to increase power production from geothermal wells while decreasing production costs.

Headquartered on the campus of Oklahoma State University, the International Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) Association utilizes state-of-the-art facilities for conducting GSHP system installation training, certification of system designers and geothermal research.

The Oklahoma state capital building is one of the largest buildings in the world to be heated and cooled by geothermal energy, resulting in savings of 25% in operating costs and zero CO2 emissions.

Solar

Oklahoma’s centralized location provides cost advantages to solar manufacturers for their supply chain and product transportation, and gives companies easy access to consumer markets across the U.S., Mexico and Canada via the state’s port and interstate system infrastructure.

  • No. 6 in solar energy potential in the U.S.
  • 3,000+ sunny hours per year – more than Florida, California or Texas
Why Oklahoma

Oklahoma Mesonet

Collects weather data, including solar and wind speeds, across 120 stations spanning all 77 Oklahoma counties.

Location

A centralized location combined with solar and wind potential put Oklahoma at the forefront of renewable capacity.

Incentives

Oklahoma offers multiple incentive programs to benefit renewable energy companies.

Training a Renewable Workforce

Oklahoma’s nationally-recognized CareerTech centers offer specialized training that prepare students for work in various energy fields. CareerTech also works with companies to create
customized programs to meet specific workforce needs.

Specialized renewable and sustainable energy degree programs are offered by Oklahoma State
University (OSU), OSU-OKC, Rogers State University, Tulsa Community College and the University of Tulsa (TU).

Oklahoma’s colleges and universities graduate an average of more than 200 electrical and electronics engineers and more than 150 construction and engineering technology technicians each year.

TU is also home to the National Energy Policy Institute, a joint project between the university and the George Kaiser Family Foundation.

From OSU’s honors from the EPA for green power leadership to TU’s Alternative Energy Institute, Oklahoma’s higher education institutions are focused on the next-generation
energy research.

Oklahoma saw a 39% growth rate over the last 10 years in Energy related programs, producing over 30,500 graduates.

Renewable Energy Degree Programs

Degree programs related to renewable energy offered at Oklahoma universities and colleges:

  • Electronics Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Industrial Engineering
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Geological Engineering
  • Environmental, Health & Safety
  • Management
  • Wind Turbine Technicians
  • Wind Energy Maintenance
  • Manufacturing Production Technicians
  • Quality Control Technicians

Renewable Energy Vocational Programs

CareerTech programs related to renewable energy:

  • Electricity
  • Electrical Technology
  • Natural Resources and Environmental Science
  • Wind Turbine Technology
Renewable Energy Maps
Map showing the United States and solar energy data as direct normal solar irradiance
Map Citation: Sengupta, M., Y. Xie, A. Lopez, A. Habte, G. Maclaurin, and J. Shelby. 2018. "The National Solar Radiation Data Base (NSRDB)." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 89 (June): 51-60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2018.03.003
Map of the United States showing hydrothermal potential
Map Citation: Geothermal Resource Data, Tools, and Maps National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
https://www.nrel.gov/gis/geothermal.html
Map of the United States showing wind speed at 40 meters above surface level
Draxl, C., B.M. Hodge, A. Clifton, and J. McCaa. 2015. Overview and Meteorological Validation of the Wind Integration National Dataset Toolkit (Technical Report, NREL/TP-5000-61740). Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Draxl, C., B.M. Hodge, A. Clifton, and J. McCaa. 2015. "The Wind Integration National Dataset (WIND) Toolkit." Applied Energy 151: 355366.
Lieberman-Cribbin, W., C. Draxl, and A. Clifton. 2014. Guide to Using the WIND Toolkit Validation Code (Technical Report, NREL/TP-5000-62595). Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
King, J., A. Clifton, and B.M. Hodge. 2014. Validation of Power Output for the WIND Toolkit (Technical Report, NREL/TP-5D00-61714). Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
https://www.nrel.gov/gis/wind.html
Map of Oklahoma showing wind speeds and the location of wind farms and transmission lines
Map Citation: Wind speed date from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Transmission lines and wind farm data from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce
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