The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma are working with West Wind Energy on a wind farm project, with the goal to have tribal operations completely powered by renewable energy, officials said Thursday.
Plans call for 22 100-kilowatt turbines to be erected on tribal land located near the Lucky Star Casino in Concho by the end of 2012, said Scott Brantley, the CEO of Otis, Kan.-based West Wind Energy.
Chester Whiteman, the tribes’ director of economic development, said using the turbines could save the tribes as much as $9.2 million during the next 40 years. He said the tribes spend more than $200,000 a month for electricity, some for generators that help power the casino.
The first two turbines will be built by the end of September, Brantley said, and will power the tribe’s smoke shop along U.S. Highway 81 and the tribal headquarters complex. The other 20 turbines will be used to power the casino. The 22 turbines together will produce about 2.2 megawatts.