City Electric recognized for reliability excellence

by Jason McPherson/City of Marlow
Pictured, left to right: Brian Davis, Josh Bowers, Wayne Stepp, Josh Shepperd, Chris Dilbeck, MESO’s Tom Rider Pictured, left to right: Brian Davis, Josh Bowers, Wayne Stepp, Josh Shepperd, Chris Dilbeck, MESO’s Tom Rider

For the second consecutive year, the Marlow Electric Department received statewide recognition for excellence in reliability. The Municipal Electric Systems of Oklahoma (MESO) presented an award plaque for Outstanding Achievement in the association’s annual Electric Operations and Reliability Competition.

Marlow was recognized in the category for cities under 10,000 in population.

“This award is a continued testament to the skill, determination and desire to excel by employees of the City of Marlow,” said Mayor Jeff Prater. “I am proud of the job the electric department does as well as the job all city employees do.”

The City of Marlow Electric Department, which has operated the utility since 1910, was recognized for having an average system availability index of 99.9964 percent in 2021. Marlow’s Electric Department was also recognized last year for an average system availability index of 99.9926 percent.

“As a public power provider, the focus is on safety of the employees and reliability,” said electric superintendent Chris Dilbeck. “Keeping the lights on safely is what we work towards every day.”

Tom Rider, the general manager of MESO, presented the award to electric department employees.

“It is important, we believe, for cities to maintain accurate records to measure their reliability and productivity,” Rider said. “Through ongoing review of operations of cities in the four-state region, we find over time which systems have continuous excellence in construction standards and distribution automation. The City of Marlow has taken steps to maintain reliability and continues to invest in system improvement.”

MESO is a municipal utility trade association representing cities in Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas. The association’s members provide non-profit power to over 750,000 people.

“The current operational standards and employee standards of the City of Marlow are superior,” Rider continued. “This training and development of staff and increased funding for reliability resulted in continued excellent performance of the utility. Local control means local crews. That means fast response. And fast response means less outage time.”

The City of Marlow Electric Department has previously been recognized for outstanding achievement in safety by MESO (2019, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2008); safety by the American Public Power Association (2021, 2020, 2019); and reliability by the American Public Power Association (2020). Marlow was also awarded MESO’s Clarence Fulkerson Electric System Achievement Award in 2020.