Oklahoma Congressional representatives along with leaders from Tinker Air Force Base and Oklahoma Gas & Electric celebrated the opening of an electrical peaking plant in a ribbon-cutting ceremony held at Tinker AFB, Feb. 19.
The plant is designed to generate up to 96 megawatts, enough to power 34,000 homes during normal operation. It features two natural gas-fired combustion turbine units that, when necessary, can provide islanding capability to support Tinker's AFB's numerous no-fail missions.
"This plant is more than just a cornerstone of our local energy infrastructure, it is a direct implementation of the 2026 National Defense Strategy," said Col. Cisco Harris, Tinker AFB installation and 72nd Air Base Wing commander. "This strategy sets forth a clear and urgent mandate for the Department of War. Today, we celebrate a project that decisively answers this call." He added, "This facility is a direct investment in the Department of War's top priority, which is defending the U.S. homeland. This plant guarantees that in any contingency, Tinker's no-fail missions can sustain independent operations, which are critical to our national security."
Rep. Tom Cole, OK-4, and OGE Energy Corp.'s CEO, Chairman and President Sean Trauschke also spoke at the event.
In addition to supporting critical infrastructure on base, the OG&E Tinker Power Plant strengthens overall electrical grid performance and stability for electrical customers both on base and in the community. It can be brought online quickly to meet peak demand and respond to real-time system needs.
The plant's creation took the cooperation of multiple organizations, including the Oklahoma Industries Authority, The Oklahoma Strategic Military Planning Commission, the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, Tinker AFB and OG&E.
The plant will be able to grow with Tinker AFB, allowing additional generation units to be added as demands change. This will be essential as Tinker AFB grows its KC-46A [Pegasus] tanker maintenance campus and begins construction on the bomber campus that will be home to B-52 [Stratofortress] modernization workloads and the sole depot maintenance facility for the upcoming sixth generation bomber, the B-21 Raider.
