OGE Energy : OG&E named 2020 EEI Emergency Response Award recipient following severe summer storm and fall ice storm

PDF Version

The October ice storm caused the largest number of storm-related outages in company history. More than 4,000 line crew members worked in challenging conditions, replacing nearly 6,000 structures and 58 miles of transmission line to restore electricity to homes and businesses safely and completely.

DOWNLOAD PHOTOS

OKLAHOMA CITY (January 15, 2021) - The Edison Electric Institute (EEI) today announced OG&E as a recipient of its Emergency Response Award following power restoration from the July severe storm and October ice storm in 2020.

Emergency Response Awards recognize recovery and assistance efforts of electric companies following service disruptions caused by extreme weather or other natural events. OG&E was selected by a panel of judges following an international nomination process, and the awards were presented during EEI's virtual Winter Board and Chief Executives Meeting.

'Over the past year, many of our nation's electric companies and their customers have endured historic storms, wildfires and other significant weather-related events,' said EEI President Tom Kuhn. 'Working around the clock to restore power safely and quickly to customers and deploying mutual assistance crews to support impacted companies are hallmarks of the electric power industry. When disasters strike, impacted and neighboring electric companies are quick to assess damage and to respond and assist with restoration.'

The award is based on OG&E's emergency response efforts during two severe storms - a July 11 windstorm and an unprecedented early season, three-day ice storm in late October. In July, OG&E customers lost power due to powerful winds and lightning. More than 1,500 personnel worked to restore electricity, replacing more than 300 structures and 10 miles of transmission line. Later in the year, the October ice storm caused the largest number of storm-related outages in company history. More than 4,000 line crew members worked in challenging conditions, replacing nearly 6,000 structures and 58 miles of transmission line to restore electricity to homes and businesses safely and completely.

'We are honored by the recognition from EEI and I'm proud of our team's efforts to restore power following these significant and historic weather events,' said Sean Trauschke, OGE Energy Corp. Chairman, President and CEO. 'From integrating COVID protocols into our restoration practices, to amassing the largest restoration workforce in our history, these restoration efforts were unlike any other. We are so grateful to our customers and our communities for their resiliency and support for our hard-working employees.'

Today's awards mark a total of 18 times since 1999 that OG&E has received the highest national distinction for emergency recovery. The company has been recognized 10 times for major storms affecting the OG&E system and eight times for assisting other companies.

'I congratulate and applaud OG&E for demonstrating continued commitment to the customers and to the communities it serves. Amid a global pandemic and often in the most hazardous conditions, OG&E's frontline employees worked tirelessly to restore service. OG&E is exceptionally deserving of this prestigious award,' Kuhn added.

###

About OG&E

Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of OGE Energy Corp. (NYSE: OGE), is Oklahoma's largest electric utility. For more than a century, we have provided customers in Oklahoma and western Arkansas the safe, reliable electricity needed to power their businesses and homes with the nation's lowest electric rates, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. Our employees are committed to generating and delivering electricity, protecting the environment, and providing excellent service to nearly 860,000 customers. OG&E has 7,081 MW of electric generation capacity fueled by low-sulfur coal, natural gas, wind, and solar. OG&E employees live, work, and volunteer in the communities we serve. For more information about OG&E, visit us at http://www.oge.com or follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ogepower and Twitter: @OGandE.

About Edison Electric Institute (EEI)

EEI is the association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies. Our members provide electricity for more than 220 million Americans, and operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. As a whole, the electric power industry supports more than 7 million jobs in communities across the United States. In addition to our U.S. members, EEI has more than ​65 international electric companies, with operations in more than 90 countries, as International Members, and hundreds of industry suppliers and related organizations as Associate Members.