Tomorrow marks the beginning of Public Power Week. This nationwide celebration recognizes the economic, social, and environmental contributions of locally generated electric utilities. Approximately 2,000 public power providers serve more than 49 million Americans daily and play a significant role in ensuring our local communities’ health, safety and future development.

One unique benefit of public power is that the systems are custom so that local resources can meet local needs. Across the country, public power systems look vastly different from one another. Some publicly owned electric utility systems are large, like those serving Los Angeles and Orlando. In contrast, other systems are smaller, like the many grids serving Oklahoma towns.

Claremore is incredibly fortunate to have a steadfast partner in public power, Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA). For over 77 years, Claremore and GRDA have worked together to provide this vital resource to our community. As one of the first cities to receive electricity from GRDA’s Pensacola Dam, we have a rich history of being a public power champion!

In economic development, low-cost, reliable electricity is an attractive inducement for business and industry and vital for long-term business success. GRDA and Claremore Electric partner daily to support local businesses and collaborate with other organizations to ensure Claremore has the needed infrastructure to support growing industry.

We can not celebrate this week without recognizing and honoring the people behind public power. Our dedicated team members at Claremore Electric help keep our community’s power grid up and running. Whether it’s an average day or during an unpredictable storm, they work hard and keep our lights on, homes warm and businesses running! I want to personally thank our team at Claremore Electric and the other utility staff members for their continued dedication and commitment to serving our community.

As we celebrate this week, I encourage you to visit the City Manager page on claremore.com to learn more about the continued investment the City is making in its grid system. Over the past few years, we have made significant strides in upgrading aging infrastructure and increasing capacity.

Happy Public Power Week, Claremore!

Have a fantastic weekend,

John Feary
Claremore City Manager