On Jan. 10, the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) presented OG&E with the association’s “Emergency Assistance Award” for its outstanding work assisting customers impacted by Hurricane Harvey in August 2017 and Hurricane Irma in September 2017.

The award is presented to EEI member companies to recognize an outstanding response in assisting other electric companies in power restoration efforts after service has been disrupted by severe weather conditions or other natural events. The winners were chosen by a panel of judges following an international nomination process, and the awards were presented during EEI’s Winter Board and CEO Meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona.

This award marks the 12th time since 1999 that we’ve won the highest national distinction for emergency recovery from EEI – six times for major storms affecting the OG&E system and six times for assisting other companies.

“On behalf of everyone at OG&E, I am honored to accept this award,” said Sean Trauschke, OGE Energy Corp. Chairman and CEO. “Our employees work hard every day to serve our customers and are always ready and willing to go the extra mile to get the lights back on whenever or wherever it’s needed. This award recognizes that dedication.”

When AEP-Texas and Florida Power and Light (FPL) sent out the call for help following hurricanes Harvey and Irma, Big Orange rolled out and went to work.

A convoy of 46 OG&E trucks transporting 81 linemen and crew members travelled to Rockport, Texas, following Hurricane Harvey. Crew members gathered from as far west as Woodward, Okla., and as far east as Fort Smith, Ark., and remained in Rockport for 17 days.

As crews wrapped up in Texas, Hurricane Irma made landfall and pummeled the Southeast, with the majority of damage in Florida. Irma caused nearly 8 million outages. FPL asked OG&E to send a 14-member management team to coordinate FPL linemen and vegetation management personnel in Broward County. In addition to the management team, 80 OG&E lineman and support staff were assigned to work in and around St. Augustine, Fla.

“When disaster impacts a region, electric companies from across the nation are called on to assist impacted companies in need – mutual assistance is a hallmark of our industry,” said EEI President Tom Kuhn.

About OG&E
Oklahoma Gas & 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 at rates below the national average. Our employees are committed to generating and delivering electricity, protecting the environment and providing excellent service to our more than 836,000 customers. OG&E has 6,700 MW of electric generation capacity fueled by low-sulfur coal, natural gas, wind and solar. OG&E is recognized as a leader in smart grid technology, leveraging this platform to provide customers with the award-winning SmartHours® program and setting the stage for an electric vehicle program that will include some level of public charging infrastructure, and advanced LED street and security lighting. OG&E employees live, work and volunteer in the communities we serve. For more information about OG&E, visit us on the Internet at http://www.oge.com or follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ogepower and Twitter: @OGandE.