How This Community-Owned Electric Utility Is Redefining Customer Service by Treating Everyone Like Neighbors

A Neighborly Approach to Service

When Glenn Fisher thinks about the people Edmond Electric serves, he understands he is talking about customers – but he thinks about them as neighbors.

“We are part of the community,” said Fisher, Director of Edmond Electric. “We are community owned and operated. Our employees not only work here, but many also live here and raise their families here. So, while our focus is on providing reliable service, we also take pride in giving back to the community in a number of ways.”

Oklahoma's largest community-owned electric utility, Edmond Electric has served the Edmond community since 1908 and, today, provides electric services to more than 95,000 residents within the City of Edmond corporate city limits.

And when Fisher talks about “reliable” service, he’s talking about the fact that Edmond Electric customers have service available to them on average 97.9797 percent of the time.

Reinvesting in the Community

But, as a publicly owned power company and a City of Edmond department, Edmond Electric also reinvests in the community annually. That commitment in the community supports vital City services such as police, fire, streets and parks. Because of Edmond Electric's support, the Edmond community maintains a high quality of living.

“We do reinvest to help support services and programs that are vital to our residents and customers,” Fisher said. “But that reinvestment is more than just funding. It’s providing programs that help residents and customers benefit from efficient and cost-effective programs. It’s about investing in efficient and effective customer service. It’s time and support for community events and programs like Luminance, or energy-saving trees.”

Community-Facing Events and Programs

Edmond Electric is a driving force behind many community-facing events and programs, as well. A few examples of these are:

• Luminance: Edmond Electric is the founding sponsor of the annual walk-through holiday light display, which is open to the public in Mitch Park during the holiday season. Along with financial support, Edmond Electric personnel spend many hours setting up, maintaining and helping store and restore the nearly three dozen light displays. Learn more about Luminance at www.edmondlights.com/.

• Energy-Saving Tree Distribution: Every spring and fall Edmond Electric teams with the City’s Urban Forestry group to provide residents with free energy-saving trees to those who reserve one. Learn more about that program at www.edmondok.gov/EnergySavingTrees.

• Energy Education: Edmond Electric personnel visit classrooms for a safety demonstration using a special platform that simulates electrical currents. To learn more about that visit www.edmondok.gov/236/Energy-Education.

“You give back because you are a part of the community, and when that’s the case, giving back just makes sense,” Fisher said.

Extending Help Beyond City Limits

Often, giving back extends beyond the Edmond city limits. Regularly, personnel and equipment from the City of Edmond utility have traveled throughout Oklahoma and as far away as Florida to help recovery efforts from weather-related impacts. In 2023, a crew traveled to Florida to help communities impacted by Hurricane Idalia, and a crew also traveled to Florida in 2022 to help communities impacted by Hurricane Ian.

Since 2023, Edmond Electric has answered with the Light Up Navajo project, a mutual-aid program to extend electricity to homes in the Navajo Nation without the infrastructure to get that service. The initiative was created in 2019 through a unique partnership between the American Public Power Association (APPA) and Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA). Electric line workers from throughout the United States recently traveled to the Navajo Nation to help connect the homes of Navajo families to the electric grid.

“We have great partnerships with APPA and municipalities across the state and country,” Fisher said. “There have been times when we have needed help, and we know we can count on people pitching in and helping out, and so when we have an opportunity to be part of a great cause, we won’t hesitate.

“These crews volunteer to help, and that is typical of that spirit of community and service we see daily at Edmond Electric. There never was a question of if we should help, but more how and when can we help? Whether it’s here in Edmond, in Oklahoma, Florida, Arizona or anywhere, the people who work here at Edmond Electric are always ready and willing to go and do what we can do to help make a difference.”

Which, of course, is what dependable neighbors do.

“We’re your neighbors,” Fisher said, “and neighbors help each other. And while we know that providing quick, affordable and efficient power is the primary goal, being a good neighbor is something we really take pride in.”

Learn more about this and all the things Edmond Electric does at www.edmondElectric.com.