December Storm
December 2007 brought the worst ice storm in PSO's history. View photos and statistics from the storm and the power restoration.

PSO assembled a massive work force to restore power to our customers as safely and as quickly as possible following the destructive December 9-11 ice storm. Many customers have asked to write the workers to thank them for their heroic efforts. Here is a list (pdf) of the utility companies and others who participated in the largest power restoration effort in PSO's history.

Powering the Next Generation Scholarship
Public Service Company of Oklahoma is a strong supporter of education and encourages students to pursue higher education with emphasis in engineering, math, science and technical-related fields. PSO is partnering with Oklahoma State University–Okmulgee to offer the PSO Powering the Next Generation Scholarship (PDF: 256 KB : get viewer). Students pursuing an Associate Degree of Applied Science in Construction–High Voltage can apply for the scholarship (DOC: 151 KB : get viewer), which is awarded annually. The High Voltage Program provides practical hands-on and classroom training for careers in the line construction industry.

Community Connections Report
PSO's Community Connections Report (PDF: 514 KB : get viewer) to the community details the company's funding emphasis on education.

Play It Safe: Don't Steal Metal
Stealing metal from electric lines, substations or other electrical equipment isn’t just illegal. It can kill you. Don’t do it. Don’t let people you care about do it. Read more about this danger.

PSO Recognized For Early Childhood Education Efforts
PSO was recognized by Smart Start Oklahoma for efforts to improve school-readiness opportunities for young children. Smart Start has a vision for all Oklahoma children to be safe, healthy, eager to learn and ready to succeed by the time they enter school.

PSO president Stuart Solomon reads about the character Curious George to 4- and 5-year-olds at a daycare facility.

Smart Start program honored PSO for its support and involvement in early childhood education in two newspaper special advertising supplements, one in the Oklahoman and one in the Tulsa World.

PSO has been at the forefront in recognizing that investment in positive outcomes for young children is a key to the success of our state’s future. When the Smart Start Oklahoma program was established in 2003 PSO provided a three-year commitment of $300,000 to hire staff and launch the initiative. In addition, PSO encourages employees to volunteer in ways that enhance the education of children statewide.

In the newspaper ads, Nancy Von Bargen, Smart Start Oklahoma’s executive director, says, “PSO is more than a provider of electric service to 500,000 customers across Oklahoma. The company also partners with community leaders in the more than 230 Oklahoma cities and towns it serves, helping to make our communities strong.

 

Trees and power lines don't mix.
Photo shows trees that have been scorched or burned because they are too near high-voltage transmission lines at a location in the PSO service area. Trees like this need immediate attention for both safety and reliability reasons.

For more news and issues, see:
PSO news releases
Storms & outages
2007 Summer RFP
Media contacts
PSO's Reliability Enhancement Plan
Wind power for PSO customers
Community advertising
Requests for proposals
Additional resources