The Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority’s (OMPA) Field Services Department has received a national commendation from the American Public Power Association for its support in electric power restoration efforts following a recent ice storm that caused wide-spread outages.
The crew assisted OMPA members Yale, Blackwell, Goltry and Frederick, which suffered outages as a result of a catastrophic ice storm in October.
The crew proved to be a valuable resource as 29 different Public Power utilities served by OMPA suffered outages from the storm, which dumped ice onto trees and pulled them into lines throughout Oklahoma. State-wide, more than 300,000 customers lost power in the first 24 hours of the storm. Several of the outages OMPA members experienced lasted days, and some the entire week, due to the extensive damage sustained from the fallen trees.
“We appreciate the commendation from APPA recognizing the hard work of our line workers and staff. Mutual aid is an essential service all electric utilities provide, and we are proud to do our part. I am especially pleased that they worked long hours over several days without an accident,” General Manager Dave Osburn said.
OMPA participates in the American Public Power Association’s Mutual Aid Network, which coordinates with utilities and authorities during widespread power outages.
For more information on OMPA and its commitment to mutual aid, visit ompa.com or PublicPower.org/MutualAid.
