NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Drake N. Rice, Director of Member Services, 405/359-2500
Town of Orlando Receives MESO’s Clarence Fulkerson Electric System Achievement Award
During the Municipal Electric Systems of Oklahoma’s (MESO) Awards Lunch on September 18th at the Tulsa Convention Center, the Town of Orlando received the association’s Clarence Fulkerson Electric System Achievement Award for its system enhancement involving a major upgrade of its electric distribution system. The awards lunch was held in conjunction with the Oklahoma Municipal League (OML) Annual Conference & Exposition held in Tulsa September 17-19 in downtown Tulsa.
The upgrade converted the town of 89 customers from a 2400 volt delta system to a 13,200 kV wye system. At a cost of $244,170, the project replaced 35 poles, 45 transformers and three miles of conductor. Orlando took ownership of an OG&E line and then built a new line to serve OG&E’s customers in the area.
The funding for this project came from three sources: the Town of Orlando contributed $180,000, and the town also received a Rural Education Achievement Fund (REAP) grant and a Community Development Block Grant (CBDG) totaling $64,170. Mayor Sam Jerome and City Clerk Brooke Hermann provided overall coordination of the project, including working with ACOG, providing funding for the project, as we as working with the citizens of Orlando. Bob Bornt provided assistance with the project design and coordinated everything with the town, contractors and material vendors. The Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority (OMPA) assisted with legal and engineering advice as needed, as well as coordinating the project with OG&E.
Municipal Electric Systems of Oklahoma (MESO) is the statewide trade association of Oklahoma’s 63 municipally owned electric distribution utilities.
The Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority (OMPA) is a municipal joint-action agency created for the purpose of providing an adequate, reliable and affordable supply of electrical power and energy to Oklahoma’s municipally owned electric systems. The Authority presently serves 39 municipally owned electric systems in Oklahoma. As a consumer-owned public power entity, OMPA is owned by the member cities it serves.
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