Preparing to better serve our members

underground and overhead power lines. This ROW enables REC to provide clearance from trees and other obstructions hindering distribution powerlines. The overall goal of our vegetation management strategy is to provide reliable power to our members while maintaining the beauty of our area.

Modernizing Vegetation Management

Generally speaking, healthy trees do not fall on powerlines, and clear lines do not cause problems. Proactive trimming and pruning keep lines clear to improve power reliability. However, traditional vegetation management is costly and time consuming. We continue to look for advances and improvements in technology to reduce our costs and improve efficiency.

Planned Outages Improve Reliability

June 2023

Co-op Comments

Official publication of Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. CO-OP COMMENTS is owned, controlled and directed by Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. It is printed monthly and mailed to members in Garvin, McClain, Comanche, Stephens, Grady and Carter counties in Oklahoma.

Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. 13942 Highway 76 • P.O. Box 609 Lindsay, OK 73052 405-756-3104 • 800-259-3504

Outage Number: 855-399-2683 www.recok.coop

Providing reliable power to you is and will always be top priority for Rural Electric. These days, power reliability seems to be making news now more than ever.

As the energy industry continues to transition and more segments of the economy are becoming electrified, such as vehicles, machinery and even lawn equipment, additional pressures are being placed on our nation’s electric grid.

With summer storm season upon us, I wanted to share with you about a few measures we are taking to ensure you continue receiving the reliable power you depend on and deserve.

Let me be the first to say, I love trees and the charm they add to our communities, and I know you do too. While trees provide shade and add beauty to our area, you may be surprised to learn overgrown vegetation accounts for about half of all power outages.

This is why we strive to keep our powerlines clear in right-of-way (ROW) areas. A ROW area is the land th Co-op uses to construct, maintain, replace or repair

Although it may seem counterintuitive, we also maintain power reliability through planned, controlled outages. Carefully cutting power to one part of our local area allows us to perform system repairs and upgrades, which ultimately improve electric service. Planned outages can also be used to balance energy demand, but only in rare circumstances. Rest assured, we will always notify you in advance of a planned outage, so make sure we have your correct contact information on file to receive the latest information. If you have not updated your number recently, call our office and make sure we have your most up-to-date cell phone number.

Vegetation management is an essential tool in ensuring power reliability and minimizing the risk of outages. As advancements become more accessible and costs drop, we anticipate using additional technologies to ensure a consistent energy supply while managing the environment. Lastly, I encourage you to follow us on social media so you can learn about the latest Co-op updates.

Board of Trustees

Gary Jones, President, District 1

Scott Christian, Vice President, District 1

Brent Bacon, Sec./Treasurer, District 1

Larry Anderson, District 2

Johnny Harrel, District 2

Terri Hays, District 2

Mark Finch, District 3

Randy Griswold, District 3

Lisa Whitman, Attorney

Management and Staff

Dusty Ricks, Manager/CEO

Linda Ray, CFO

Kelli Lindsey, Administrative Assistant and Staff Coordinator

Elaine Gilreath, Manager of Customer Service and Data Processing

Jon Jones, Manager of Engineering

Mitch Gilreath, Manager of Information Technology Services

Megan Lawrence, Manager of Member Services and Marketing

Clint Yeary, Manager of Safety and Loss Control/Facilities

David Crull, System Superintendent

Jason Mays, Operations Superintendent