To honor his dedicated service to Perry and its electric system, the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority (OMPA) officially named the electric substation that serves the city the “Earl Dean Hicks Substation” in a ceremony in Perry on Aug. 1.
Hicks, who passed in March at the age of 80, was a long-time advocate of Public Power. He displayed that commitment during his time as a city councilman in Perry – including a stint at the time of his passing and another from 1984-1987 – as well as during his many years while working for the city.
Hicks played a crucial role in agreeing with the OMPA to serve as the city’s wholesale power supplier in 1994, while also ensuring that the city’s electric distribution system received much-needed reliability improvements shortly thereafter.
“Earl played a key role in bringing Perry into the OMPA family. His thorough, detailed analysis helped to show the city that OMPA was the best option for Perry, then and now. OMPA is pleased to name this substation in his honor,” OMPA General Manager Dave Osburn said.
The substation is located south of the city off Old CCC Highway. It is one of 16 owned by the Authority across the state. It received an upgrade in 2014, with more than $300,000 spent.
“He is the father of the modern-day Perry electric system,” state Sen. Chuck Hall, former mayor of Perry, said at the substation dedication ceremony. “For 26 years, he constantly remained vigilant in what was important to the community in Perry. I believe that Earl Hicks was the most selfless public servant that Perry has ever seen and will ever see.”
Perry is one of 63 Public Power communities in Oklahoma. All enjoy the benefits of local control, local crews to respond to outages in a timely manner and the financial reinvestment that an electric system provides to its community. These were concepts Hicks understood, according to a resolution passed by OMPA in April, allowing for the naming of the substation.
“Earl Dean Hicks was a leader for decades in advancing the cause of Public Power and the business interests of both the City of Perry, Oklahoma and the OMPA, and deserves a fitting tribute and memorial,” the resolution read.
