PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Drake Rice, Director of Member Services, 405/340-5047
OMPA’s New Generating Plant Named “Charles D. Lamb Energy Center”
The Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority (OMPA) Board of Directors approved designating the name of the new generating plant to be built near Ponca City as the “Charles D. Lamb Energy Center” in honor of OMPA’s Board Chair and Edmond Mayor during its monthly business meeting on July 12th. Preliminary plans are underway on a site for the natural gas combustion turbine facility that will be built near Ponca City. The new plant is scheduled for operation in 2015.
Mayor Lamb has served on the OMPA Board since 1993. Since 2001, he has served as the Board Chair and he is the longest tenured elected official to serve as the chair. He was instrumental in the innovation and development of the Authority’s Competitive Utility Program (CUP). CUP, started in 1995, is a voluntary program that provides OMPA members with a way to evaluate and improve the operation of their electric utilities, and make them better able to compete in the electric utility industry.
In addition, he instituted the use and evolution of an OMPA Board self evaluation to improve board governance and continues to be a major supporter of the development and use of a strategic plan for OMPA. He also serves on the American Public Power Association (APPA) Policy Makers Committee.
Before being appointed Edmond mayor in 2011, he served on the Edmond City Council for 15 years. A long-time community volunteer, he serves on numerous boards and commissions, including the Edmond Urban Forestry Commission, Central Edmond Urban Board, Tomorrow’s Edmond Steering and Implementation Committees as chair, Planning Commission, Board of Adjustment and Appeals, and Edmond Historic Preservation Trust. He also served as a trustee of the Edmond Industrial Development Authority.
Lamb’s accolades are many and include: Induction in the Edmond Hall of Fame 2010; induction into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame for City and Town Officials, 2006; first elected official to receive the MESO Ray Duffy Personal Service Award for outstanding service to public power, 2003; Edmond Citizen of the Year, 1999; Edmond Chamber of Commerce Community Spirit Award, 1998; Edmond Historical Society Preservation Award for Community Service; Arts Alive Award for Continuous Service to the Arts; Edmond Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year Award; and UCO Distinguished Former Student Honoree for Community Service. He has been an Edmond resident since 1959.
OMPA is a state governmental agency created by the legislature to serve cities and towns that own and operate their electrical distribution systems and is governed by the members. The Authority presently serves 39 municipally owned electric systems in Oklahoma.
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