Public Power Communities Recognized For Reliability, Safety Efforts By State Association

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
August 3, 2022

The Municipal Electric Systems of Oklahoma (MESO) has recognized public power members from Oklahoma and adjoining states for safety and reliability efforts.

Oklahoma’s Fairview Utilities Authority earned first place in MESO’s annual Electric Operations and Reliability Competition in the category for cities under 10,000 population and was cited for achieving the highest reported level of service reliability for public power cities in Oklahoma. The utility delivered an Average System Availability Index of 99.9988 percent in 2021.

Additionally, the utility had a perfect safety record for 2021. The utility’s personnel went a year without a reportable lost work time incident, either “days away from work,” “restricted light duty,” or “medical treatment” cases in 4,232-man-hours.

The City of Miami and Miami Electric in Oklahoma earned MESO’s Outstanding Achievement in the annual Electric Safety Competition in Oklahoma in the category for cities with over 10,000 population.

Miami employees delivered an exceptional safety record in 2021, MESO said. The utility’s personnel went the year with one reportable incident, resulting in no lost work time, either “days away from work,” “restricted light duty,” or “medical treatment” cases in 20,322-man-hours.

Coffeyville Municipal Light & Power in Kansas earned MESO’s Outstanding Achievement in the association’s annual Electric Operations and Reliability Competition. The utility was recognized in the category for cities with over 10,000 population and cited for achieving the second-highest reported level of service reliability for cities within MESO’s four-state member region. The utility delivered an Average System Availability Index of 99.9983 percent in 2021.

Oklahoma’s Prague Power, the city’s electric utility, earned Outstanding Achievement in MESO’s Operations and Reliability Competition in the category for cities under 10,000 population. The utility delivered an Average System Availability Index of 99.9933 percent in 2021. Additionally, Prague Power was recognized for having a perfect safety record for 2021 working without a reportable lost work time incident, either “days away from work,” “restricted light duty,” or “medical treatment” cases.

Tahlequah Public Works Authority (TPWA), serving the citizens of Tahlequah, Okla., earned First Place in MESO’s Electric Operations and Reliability Competition in the category for cities with a population over 10,000. TPWA achieved the highest reported level of service reliability for cities within Oklahoma with an Average System Availability Index of 99.994 percent in 2021.

The Town of Olustee in Oklahoma earned First Place in MESO’s Electric Operations and Reliability Competition in the Town Category with an Average System Availability Index of 99.9995 percent in 2021. Additionally, Olustee was recognized for having a perfect safety record for 2021. The Town’s employees working a year (or 7,251-man-hours) without a reportable lost work time incident, either “days away from work,” “restricted light duty,” or “medical treatment” case.

The City of Marlow, Okla., was recognized for Outstanding Achievement in MESO’s annual Electric Operations and Reliability Competition. The utility was recognized in the category for cities under 10,000 population and delivering an Average System Availability Index of 99.9964 percent in 2021.

Other cities that were recognized by MESO were: Siloam Springs, Arkansas: Reliability – 1st, over 10,000, four-state region; Tecumseh, Okla. – Outstanding Achievement; Duncan, Okla.: Reliability – Outstanding Achievement; and Comanche, Okla: Safety – First Place.