Western Farmers Electric Cooperative has broken ground on the Hugo Plant Expansion, a project it values at nearly $1 billion, in Oklahoma. The project will add nine natural gas combustion turbines and about 400 MW of capacity beside the cooperative’s coal unit, which has operated since 1982, with construction scheduled for completion by mid-2029.
According to Western Farmers Electric Cooperative (WFEC), the three Siemens Energy SGT-600 and six SGT-800 turbines will lift the Hugo Plant to more than 800 MW, doubling generation at the site. Moreover, the cooperative said the build responds to rule changes at the Southwest Power Pool and to load growth across its member systems, which makes units that can ramp quickly a priority. The nearly $1 billion figure covers the project and everything that supports it, not only the turbines.
That balancing role matters in southeast Oklahoma, where solar is arriving fast. Meanwhile, LRE built its Twelvemile Solar 1 and 2 projects in Bryan County, which WFEC names as one of the main beneficiaries of Hugo construction spending. The combined 153 MW was listed as commercial in a July 2026 milestone release, with power delivered through OG&E, while the 200 MW Twelvemile 3 project in Johnston County remains under construction.
Hugo Plant Expansion Adds Nine Siemens Energy Turbines and 400 MW
The Hugo Plant Expansion will install three Siemens Energy SGT-600 and six SGT-800 combustion turbines, known together as Hugo Units 3 through 11. Together, the nine units will add about 400 MW and raise the plant’s total capability to more than 800 MW, according to WFEC. A cooperative annual report put the addition at 404 MW.
WFEC CEO Gary Roulet said the new units and pipeline will “double the generation capacity at this location” while using existing infrastructure. For scale, the added capacity is more than two and a half times the nameplate of Twelvemile Solar 1 and 2.
The turbines can start quickly and change output as needed. As a result, WFEC said they will back up wind and solar output that shifts with the weather. Vice President of Generation Justin Soderberg described the units as “dispatchable generation needed to meet growing demand” while renewables expand. In addition, WFEC said its portfolio includes more than 1,000 MW of renewable projects that are in service or expected by the end of the decade.
Hugo Plant Expansion Relies on a New 43-Mile Natural Gas Pipeline
Fuel for the Hugo Plant Expansion will arrive through a new 43-mile pipeline owned by Oklahoma Natural Gas, running from Bennington, Oklahoma, to the plant near Fort Towson. WFEC said pipeline construction is expected to begin in mid-2027, with upstream supply drawn from an existing pipeline at Bennington.
ONE Gas, the parent of Oklahoma Natural Gas, estimated the pipeline at $150 million to $160 million when it announced the project in December 2025, with about $120 million coming from the company. The line is designed to carry more than 100 billion cubic feet of gas a year, or roughly 274 million cubic feet a day, and is targeted for completion in the third quarter of 2028.
Furthermore, WFEC said planning has run since 2023 and covered generation technologies, pipeline alternatives, engineering firms and contractors. Fagen, Inc. is the contractor for the nine generators and is expected to ramp up its workforce in January 2027. Sargent & Lundy has served as owner’s engineer, according to a January 2026 WFEC announcement.
Hugo Plant Expansion Supports Up to 600 Workers in Southeast Oklahoma
The Hugo Plant Expansion is expected to support up to 600 workers at peak, according to WFEC. That figure covers project staff, plant outage crews and pipeline construction, and the cooperative said the economic activity will fall mainly in Choctaw and Bryan Counties, with some reaching other southeast Oklahoma counties and northeast Texas.
The number is higher than the January announcement, which cited peak manpower of about 300 construction contract employees for the new units. Thus the two figures are not directly comparable.
The schedule is measured. Groundbreaking took place on Oct. 14, the Fagen workforce ramp begins in January 2027, and WFEC expects construction to finish by mid-2029. A cooperative annual report listed 2029 as the commercial operation date.
WFEC, based in Anadarko, operates seven generating facilities with about 2,500 MW of total capacity, including hydropower allocation and contract purchases, according to OK Energy Today. The Hugo Plant Expansion is therefore equal to roughly 16 percent of that total. WFEC has not disclosed the pipeline contractor or the turbine delivery schedule in the announcement materials reviewed.
Project Overview
- Project Name: Hugo Plant Expansion (Hugo Units 3 through 11)
- Owner and Developer: Western Farmers Electric Cooperative
- Location: Hugo Plant near Fort Towson, Oklahoma
- Project Type: Natural gas fired flexible generation
- Project Value: Nearly $1 billion, including supporting infrastructure, according to WFEC
- Capacity Added: About 400 MW (404 MW per a WFEC annual report)
- Total Plant Capability: More than 800 MW
- Equipment: Three Siemens Energy SGT-600 and six SGT-800 combustion turbines
- Fuel Supply: New 43-mile Oklahoma Natural Gas pipeline from Bennington, estimated at $150 million to $160 million by ONE Gas
- Status: Groundbreaking held Oct. 14, 2026
- Workforce Ramp: January 2027, led by Fagen, Inc.
- Peak Workforce: Up to 600 including plant outage staff and pipeline crews, according to WFEC
- Target Completion: Mid-2029
- Regulatory Driver: Southwest Power Pool requirement changes and member load growth
Project Team
- Owner and Developer: Western Farmers Electric Cooperative
- Generator Contractor: Fagen, Inc.
- Owner’s Engineer: Sargent & Lundy, official site not verified
- Turbine Supplier: Siemens Energy, official site not verified
- Gas Pipeline Owner: Oklahoma Natural Gas, a division of ONE Gas
- Pipeline Contractor: Not publicly disclosed
- Grid Operator: Southwest Power Pool, official site not verified
- Related Project Developer (Twelvemile Solar): LRE
- Related Project Original Developers (Twelvemile Solar): Red River Renewable Energy LLC, a joint venture of SunChase Power LLC and Eolian LP, official sites not verified
- Related Project Delivery Utility (Twelvemile Solar 1 and 2): OG&E, official site not verified
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