Board of Trustees Percy Moreu, President District2Trustee@okcoop.org
District 2
Mike Argo, Vice President
1
Rusty Grissom, Sec. Treasurer
3
Ronnie Tharp, Asst. Sec. Treas.
9
Ronnie Grover
4
Shirley Idleman
5
John Jensen
6
Danny Watters
7
Bob Usry
8
District1Trustee@okcoop.org District3Trustee@okcoop.org District9Trustee@okcoop.org District4Trustee@okcoop.org District5Trustee@okcoop.org District6Trustee@okcoop.org District7Trustee@okcoop.org District8Trustee@okcoop.org
Oklahoma Electric Cooperative 242 24th Ave NW | PO Box 1208 Norman, OK, 73070 321-2024, FAX 405-217-6900 http://www.okcoop.org
Senior Management Co-op Manager...............................Patrick Grace Chief Financial Officer.........Preston O’Brien, CPA VP of Engineering...........................Thad Peterson VP of Operations...............................Marty Hayes VP of Administration...........................Jonna Buck VP of HR and Legal Services............Tracy Mowdy VP of Metering................................John Spencer Mgr of Fiber & Broadband.........David Goodspeed Oklahoma Electric Co-op News is published monthly by Oklahoma Electric Cooperative, 242 24th Ave. NW, Norman, OK 73069, (USPS865-700). Subscription rates: $6.00 per year for non-members, 50¢ per year for members. Periodical postage paid at Norman, OK and other additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send form 3579 to: Oklahoma Electric Co-op News, PO Box 1208, Norman, OK 73070.
“Co-op News” Editor Brianna Wall
Hidden Account Numbers Worth $150 Each month, OEC will pay $50 to the two co-op members who locate their hidden account numbers inside the Co-op News that month. The hidden account numbers will be placed at random within the text of each issue and not on the mailing label. The amounts will simultaneously increase in $50 increments until one or both account numbers are located by their respective owners or until the maximum of $500 is reached. 1. One of the hidden account numbers must be your own. 2. You must advise OEC by phone, mail or in person at the co-op’s office by the 15th of the month. If you find your account number call the Member Relations department at 217-6708.
FROM the
TOP Patrick Grace, CEO
If you were like me last month, you were stocked up with the staples and ready for a much-hyped winter storm. Lucky for us, Winter Storm Diego didn't materialize here in Oklahoma, but all of OEC was ready if it had. There are two pretty difficult things to predict about winter storms: to what degree they will affect the electrical system, and, apparently, where they will strike. One thing that's certain is they are by far the most destructive to electrical systems than any other weather event we face in Oklahoma. Anytime we hear talk of a winter storm heading our way, we take every precaution necessary. That includes having extra supplies and material on hand, ensuring contracted construction crews are on standby, loading up on snacks to help fuel the linemen as they prepare to work 18-hour days, planning meals for 100-plus workers for an extended number of days and more. Had Winter Storm Diego reared its head, we were ready. One thing that makes winter storms so impactful is when the ice initially accumulates, outages occur by trees falling on the lines, bringing down poles in a domino effect (among other factors). Then, when it begins to melt, outages occur again as tree limbs lift back to normal — this is one of the reasons we prioritize vegetation management so highly. The good news is our system is much more capable of withstanding winter storms now than it ever has been. This can be attributed to a few different factors, one of them being our pole change-outs to prepare for the added weight of fiber lines has simultaneously strengthened our system. No matter what happens, you can always keep up with safety tips and live outage updates on our social media channels — especially Facebook and Twitter. Have a great New Year, and stay safe out there.
