PSO Hurricane Ida relief efforts receive national recognition
TULSA, Okla. (Jan. 11, 2021) – When Hurricane Ida devastated Louisiana, the workers of Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) were quick to help.
After New Orleans-based Entergy Corp. called for mutual assistance, more than 100 PSO employees and contractors travelled 650 miles to help rebuild the Louisiana power grid, which had been devastated by 150 mph winds and flooding. PSO crews came from throughout Oklahoma, including the Tulsa, McAlester and Lawton areas.
Those efforts were recognized Tuesday with Edison Electric Institute’s Emergency Response Award. Four other operating companies of American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) were also honored by EEI for Hurricane Ida relief efforts.
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Over the course of 14 days, PSO crews put in thousands of hours of work under challenging conditions that included high temperatures, lack of facilities, washed out roads and even alligators.
A Sept. 21 Entergy assessment said Hurricane Ida damaged more than 30,500 distribution poles, 6,000 transformers, more than 36,500 spans of distribution wire, about 500 transmission structures, more than 225 substations and 210 transmission lines.
Rebuilding after a natural disaster of that proportion requires an army of skilled workers, and PSO was ready to do its part.
“Our people worked long and hard to restore electricity to customers, and I’m proud to see their efforts recognized,” said PSO Distribution Vice President Jennifer Ellis. “In Oklahoma, we know about weather disasters, and we’re always willing to help where we can. We’ve benefited from the help of others in the past, and we know how important it is. That sort of mutual assistance is the backbone of a resilient electric grid.”
Media Contact:
Wayne Greene
PSO Corporate Communications
(918) 521-1474
lwgreene@aep.com
About Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO)
PSO, a unit of American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP), is an electric utility company serving more than 562,000 customer accounts in eastern and southwestern Oklahoma. Based in Tulsa, PSO has approximately 3,800 megawatts of generating capacity fueled primarily by natural gas. It also maintains and operates more than 22,000 miles of distribution lines and 3,700 miles of transmission lines, and is one of the largest distributors of wind energy in the state. Find news releases and other information at www.PSOklahoma.com. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @PSOklahoma.
About American Electric Power (AEP)
American Electric Power, based in Columbus, Ohio, is powering a cleaner, brighter energy future for its customers and communities. AEP’s approximately 16,700 employees operate and maintain the nation’s largest electricity transmission system and more than 224,000 miles of distribution lines to safely deliver reliable and affordable power to 5.5 million regulated customers in 11 states. AEP also is one of the nation’s largest electricity producers with approximately 31,000 megawatts of diverse generating capacity, including more than 5,900 megawatts of renewable energy. The company’s plans include growing its renewable generation portfolio to approximately 50% of total capacity by 2030. AEP is on track to reach an 80% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from 2000 levels by 2030 and has committed to achieving net zero by 2050. AEP is recognized consistently for its focus on sustainability, community engagement, and diversity, equity and inclusion. AEP’s family of companies includes utilities AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana, east Texas and the Texas Panhandle). AEP also owns AEP Energy, which provides innovative competitive energy solutions nationwide. For more information, visit aep.com.