Power for Progress: Visit a public power community this summer

Summer and Oklahoma public power
GRDA is proud to support many of the fairs, festivals, concerts, rodeos, and other uniquely Oklahoman events taking place just about every weekend in the summer, in Oklahoma public power communities and across the GRDA lakes region.

Power for Progress…

A weekly column from the Grand River Dam Authority

Visit a public power community this summer

As a proud member of 26 chambers of commerce, economic development and marketing associations across Oklahoma, the Grand River Dam Authority is right at home in Oklahoma hometowns. Whether those communities are located around the lakes GRDA manages or they are the public power communities that receive reliable, abundant GRDA wholesale electricity, the Authority’s connections to Oklahoma communities remain strong.

Most of those connections stretch back many decades. In fact, several of GRDA’s public power partnerships with Oklahoma communities are over 75 years old while several others are over 65. All those years and all those relationships have helped make the benefits of public power a reality for generations of Oklahomans who call these communities home. It is not only about economic development support (which is central to the GRDA mission), but also about enhancing quality of life in the Oklahoma hometowns where we all live, work and play.

In a public power community, the local electric distribution system is owned and managed by the citizen-customers it serves. The utility buys electricity from GRDA at wholesale rates and resells it across the community at retail rates. The profit made from those sales is then used to maintain the utility, purchase more electricity from GRDA and help fund other important city services like police and fire protection, streets, and parks. In fact, in a typical year, GRDA’s 16 customer communities combined to return as much as $38 million to city general funds. And it is all accomplished without using any tax dollars.

If you are looking for summer activities close to home, check out what these Oklahoma communities have to offer. GRDA is proud to not only provide the power but also proud to support the many fairs, festivals, concerts, rodeos, and other uniquely Oklahoman events you can find, just about every weekend in the summer, in Oklahoma public power communities and across the GRDA lakes region.

Have a great summer!