GRDA and Oklahoma Public Power

They came from all over the state last week to meet in Norman, Oklahoma, for the 2019 Municipal Electric Systems of Oklahoma (MESO) Public Power Conference. 

As the name suggests this is the annual gathering of Oklahoma’s public power team. Representatives from the state’s cities and towns that own their own electric utility systems were there to discuss current industry issues, attend training sessions and meet with their Oklahoma peers.

Of course, GRDA was well-represented at the conference too. As the wholesale electric supplier for 15 Oklahoma communities, GRDA is an integral part of Oklahoma’s public power team and has been for many years. In fact, the majority of GRDA partnerships with Oklahoma customer communities are over 60 years old and those same customers have signed long-term agreements that will continue the relationship for decades to come.

These partnerships allow customer communities to buy that power their electricity from GRDA at wholesale rates and then resell it to their end-users at retail rates. The profit made from those sales is then used to help fund important municipal service efforts such as police and fire protection, streets and parks. These are important and necessary revenue dollars made possible at no cost to Oklahoma taxpayers, because of public power.

While GRDA provides wholesale electricity to 15 Oklahoma communities, you can actually find public power systems in one of every ten Oklahoma communities. Combined, these systems generate roughly $350 million in revenues from electricity sales each year and a large portion of those revenues stay home, in Oklahoma hometowns, where they can do the most good.

GRDA is proud to be a part of Oklahoma public power.

Headquartered in Vinita, GRDA is Oklahoma’s state-owned electric utility; fully funded by revenues from electric and water sales instead of taxes. Each day, GRDA strives to be an “Oklahoma agency of excellence” by focusing on the 5 E’s: employees, electricity, economic development, environmental stewardship and efficiency. 

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