Programs available to our members.

              Customer Service/
Communication
Programs are:
Average Monthly Payments
Bank Draft
Credit Cards
CurrentEvents
Customer Service Training
Electrical Safety Promotion
Electronic Bill Presentment/
Payments
Key Accounts
Mass Communication
Programs
Peak Alerts
Pick-A-Date
PowerLines/Questline
Residential/Commercial
Energy Audits
Marketing programs help
promote the services
provided to customers.
Some of the programs are
cost-shared by OMPA
and the member utility.
2701 West I-35 Frontage Road, Post Office Box 1960, Edmond, Oklahoma 73013
Phone: 405/340-5047 - Fax: 405/359-1071
Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority (OMPA)
Programs Available to Our Members
Since 1985, the Oklahoma
Mu n i c i p a l P o w e r
Authority (OMPA) has
been providing member
cities with wholesale power
and value-added programs.
These programs are
designed to help municipal
electric systems remain
competitive.
OMPA provides member
cities with three types
of value-added programs:
customer service and
communication, marketing
and utility enhancement.
Cus t ome r Se rv i c e /
Communication programs
include services like
customer service training,
various payment plans and
options, audits and mass
communication programs.
Member cities can also
participate in two types
of newsletters - one for
residential customers and
one for commercial or key
account customers.
The quarterly Current-
Events newsletter is
distributed to the utilities’
residential customers. An
electronic newsletter and
information service is
available for distribution to
the utilities’ commercial or
key accounts.
Utility Enhancement
programs are:
Automated Meter Reading
Codes and Standards
Competitive Utility Program
(CUP)
Distribution Engineering
Distribution System Map
Updates
Emergency Action Plan
Power Partners
Service Reliability
System Maintenance Plan
Utility Rate Analysis
Marketing programs are:
“Best Cities” Economic
Development Program
Compact Fluorescent
and/or LED Lamps
Customer Satisfaction Survey
Demand and Energy Efficiency
Program (DEEP)
Economic Development Rate
Matching Advertising Funds
Wind Energy
WISE Loans
WISE Rebate Program
Utility Enhancement
programs help strengthen
the overall operation of the
members�� municipal electric
systems. Participating
members become prepared
and competitive as the
energy industry changes.
Through OMPA, member cities are able to offer their residential and commercial
customers a source of pollution-free power - wind. OMPA has 34 General
Electric 1.5 megawatt turbines at the Oklahoma Wind Energy Center located
northeast of Woodward, Oklahoma. (Joseph Mills Photo)
Crews work to restore power in Altus,
Oklahoma as a result of a winter storm.
OMPA is a state agency
created in 1981 to provide
wholesale electricity to cities
and towns that operate their
municipal electric systems.
Customer Service/Communication
OMPA: PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO OUR MEMBERS PAGE 2
This program provides a low-cost approach
to peak shaving. Since some of the monthly
costs of electricity to the cities are based on
the peak use in the past 12-month period,
cities can lower their costs by using a peak
alert program.
The cities begin by studying their own
facilities to identify areas for peak
reduction. Then a plan is developed to
implement designated measures, e.g.,
thermostat setbacks, postponing water
pumping or water treatment, reducing
lighting loads, etc.
Large industrial and commercial customers
may be contacted to curtail their usage
during peak hours. Some utilities have
designed special time-of-use rates to
encourage limited use during peak hours.
Several member cities also appeal to the
residential customer base by using mass
communications, local radio or TV stations
to broadcast the peak alert.
This allows the customer to choose a
convenient date for payment of his/her
utility bill.
The PowerLines/Questline program
provides a regular electronic newsletter
once a month to commercial customers.
The newsletter provides relevant
information and tips on commercial/
industrial energy use. Customers also have
access to a vast library of energy and
business-related information, and can use
the ask-an-expert hotline for detailed
inquiries.
The Residential and Commercial Energy
Audit Programs help residential and
commercial customers understand how their
homes and businesses use energy, and help
them identify opportunities for energy
savings. This saves money for both the
customer and the utility, and establishes the
city utility as an energy expert and a trusted
source for energy information. OMPA
provides members with training in
residential audits. On a limited basis,
OMPA can provide residential and walk-through
commercial audits for member city
customers.
Residential/Commercial
Energy Audits
This program helps the customer budget for
his/her electric usage needs by paying the
utility an averaged monthly payment based
on annual use.
The customer authorizes the utility to make
automatic bank withdrawals to pay the
customer’s utility account during each
billing cycle.
OMPA can assist members to implement a
program whereby customers can pay their
utility bills using debit or credit cards.
The CurrentEvents newsletter is published
four times a year – in the spring, summer,
fall and winter. The utilities use the publi-cation
for the promotion of energy services
programs or other community-specific items
of interest to their customers.
Since OMPA aggregates the production of
the newsletters, participating cities save on
printing costs. OMPA also arranges mailing
to customers for those cities that use this
option.
All-Employee Training is one of several
OMPA-sponsored professional development
training opportunities. This special
customer service training program is held
every year. Sessions are conducted region-ally
to enable the member cities to send as
many employees as possible.
OMPA conducts other customer service
training sessions at selected regional
locations throughout the year. Various
topics related to customer service are
covered; other topics include sessions
on residential and commercial energy
efficiency and energy use.
The Authority also provides two Gatekeeper
Programs to raise awareness among city
personnel of the needs of vulnerable elderly
and/or suicidal people who need help but
may be unable to get it for themselves.
.
Average Monthly Payments
Bank Draft
Credit Cards
CurrentEvents
Customer Service Training
OMPA believes it is important to educate
youngsters and adults about electrical
safety. Member cities can provide safety
demonstrations at grade schools, city and/or
utility open houses and local community
events. Demonstration equipment and
DVDs for electrical safety presentations are
available on loan from OMPA.
With the increasing presence of the Internet,
more and more customers are seeking to
have their bill available online for viewing
and for payment. OMPA staff can assist
with making this possible.
OMPA assists the member cities in
implementing a Key Accounts Program.
Key customers are identified and provided
with appropriate care and attention. This
helps cities develop closer relationships
with their customers. Key account training
is also available through OMPA.
To address the fast-changing world of the
Internet and the way residents communicate
and obtain information online, OMPA is on
Facebook, Twitter and YouTube in order
to reach a broader audience. Both social
media outlets are used as channels for
disseminating time-sensitive information,
such as outages, as quickly as possible and
as a marketing/promotional tool to link to
articles, press releases or anything we feel
may be of importance. These tools give
OMPA the ability to broadcast its messages
to the widest possible audience.
OMPA’s website, www.ompa.com, remains
the Authority’s primary and predominant
Internet presence. Anything that is posted
by OMPA to Facebook, Twitter and
YouTube can also be found on the OMPA
website. OMPA provides assistance to its
members in setting up a social media site or
developing a policy regarding social media.
A copy of OMPA’s social media policy can
be found on the OMPA website at
http://ompa.com/publications/social-media/
Electrical Safety Promotion
Electronic Bill Presentment/
Payments
Key Accounts
Mass Communication Programs
Peak Alerts
Pick-A-Date
PowerLines/Questline
Marketing
OMPA: PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO OUR MEMBERS PAGE 3
OMPA has a continuing contract with a
consultant to assist cities in developing
and implementing plans for economic
development. This matching funds program
offers cities expertise on promoting
economic development in their
communities, which leads to the creation of
new employment opportunities.
Through OMPA, member cities are able
to purchase energy-efficient lamps at a
discounted price for distribution to their
customers. This program also helps
to educate customers on energy efficiency.
The primary purpose of these surveys is to
gather accurate information about customer
attitudes, expectations, perceptions and
levels of satisfaction with the utility. The
information is used to identify ways in
which the utility can improve its services.
This program is intended to assist qualified
customers in member cities to reduce their
electric energy peak demands and costs.
The reduction of these demands will help
keep energy rates as low as possible and
delay the need to add additional OMPA
generation capacity to the system. The
range of project types includes replacing
motors with NEMA Premium Motors,
replacing inefficient lighting with new
fluorescent or LED technology lights,
making improvements in cooling and
heating with ground source heat pumps or
high-efficiency chillers, or replacing old
food-service equipment with improved
efficiency Energy Star rated equipment.
DEEP provides matching funds to
customers who implement energy-saving
measures that will reduce their summer
peak electric demands. Projects are
evaluated on a case-by-case
basis, and funds available for
an individual project
are determined through
submission of detailed
project plans.
“Best Cities” Economic
Development Program
Compact Fluorescent and/or
LED Lamps
Customer Satisfaction Surveys
Demand and Energy Efficiency
Program (DEEP)
This rate was established in 1990 to provide
assistance to cities in their industrial
development efforts by giving a graduated
discount on demand costs based on
minimum load levels. Subsequently,
the program has been expanded to
include public and private schools and
governmental facilities. The primary
purpose of the EDR program is to promote
economic development, which creates new
employment opportunities.
This program assists the member cities in
promoting their benefits and services to
their customers. Advertising is the key to
any successful communications campaign.
Customers do not know what services are
available unless the utility informs them.
Advertising can also help the city utility
to establish and maintain a positive and
competitive presence in the local area.
Through this program, a source of pollution-free
power is available to communities and
their customers. Under the terms of a long-term
contract with FPL Energy LLC, a
subsidiary of FPL Group Inc., OMPA owns
the electricity output from 34 General
Electric 1.5-megawatt turbines. The turbines
are part of the Oklahoma Wind Energy
Center, which is located northeast of
Woodward.
Economic Development Rate
Matching Advertising Funds
Wind Energy
Low-interest financing is available to
the members’ customers from OMPA
for qualifying energy-saving measures,
including a heat pump system and many
other energy improvements.
The rebate program encourages the
installation of high-efficiency heat pumps
and air conditioners. Cities provide rebates
to customers who install qualifying energy-efficient
heating and cooling equipment.
The rebates are cost-shared by OMPA. The
systems selected for this program contribute
to greater effectiveness and savings for the
customers. Heat pumps also help build
winter load and reduce summer peaks for
the city.
WISE Loans
WISE Rebate Program
Utility Enhancement
This program allows the utility to remotely
read virtually any electric, water or gas
meter, which leads to improved accuracy
and efficiency of meter reading. It also
helps utilities to provide better customer
service and a variety of different rate
options.
This practice refers to the process for
ensuring that all construction within the
city limits meets legal requirements for
compliance with safety codes. It applies
to the construction of both electrical and
non-electrical facilities.
CUP is a voluntary program that provides
OMPA member cities with a way to
evaluate and improve the operation of their
municipal electric utilities. It also allows
members to be able to better compete in
the electric utility industry. CUP provides
two types of reward – recognition in the
form of certification as a competitive
utility and financial awards.
Automated Meter Reading
Codes and Standards
Competitive Utility
Program (CUP)
OMPA provides limited engineering
services to member cities in the areas
of municipal distribution planning and
technical assistance on improvements
to distribution systems. This includes
evaluation of the municipal electric
distribution systems and recommendations
for improvement. OMPA also helps in
major storm restoration by coordinating
mutual aid. Equipment available on loan
from OMPA includes a power quality meter
and an infrared camera.
OMPA assists members in keeping updated
digitalized distribution system maps. Up-to
-date maps can reduce outage times by
showing out-of-town crews where they’ll be
working, and how that part of town is
connected to the electrical system. A map
can also be useful when dealing with
FEMA (after the fact) when showing the
damaged areas of town.
Every member of a municipal electric
utility department should be familiar with
the utility’s plan to deal with the wide
range of possible situations involving
emergencies with electrical equipment and
utility-related electrical hazards. OMPA
can assist cities with drawing up their plans.
Power Partners is a joint purchasing
program for electric utility materials
available from OMPA and YourGovShop.
By pooling purchases of specific electric
items for distribution systems, member
cities can lower their costs. Suppliers are
asked to submit bids for materials that are
then evaluated for the best price.
In addition to electrical supplies, other
materials also can be ordered through
Power Partners.
This program helps identify ways
to improve the municipal electric
distribution system by tracking outages.
The aim of this program is threefold:
1) give the utility more information
about the status and operation of the
electric system; 2) use this information
for planning, prioritizing and budgeting
long-term improvements in the utility’s
maintenance and operating practices,
as well as capital additions; and
3) monitor the effectiveness of
improvement initiatives, by providing a
benchmark which may be compared
across time and across utility systems.
The System Maintenance Plan provides
guidance for the upkeep of the electric
distribution system. The plan should be
updated annually and contain descriptions
of routine maintenance along with both
short-term and long-term goals. The
plan also generally includes a physical
description, map of the system and
an implementation schedule. An updated
system maintenance plan can be of great
benefit to the city and its electric utility
during the budgeting process. Cost of
updates and maintenance activities are more
easily explained and justified with the plan.
OMPA’s rate analysis services offer the
following:
 Rate design recommendation(s)
for incentive rates to be offered
by members to their industrial and
educational customers.
 Assistance in identifying the cost of
providing electrical service.
 Information on the city utility’s
competitive position within the region
and state for residential, commercial
and industrial rates.
 Assistance in long-term planning as
it relates to rates and future capital
requirements in the electric system.
Utility Enhancement
OMPA: PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO OUR MEMBERS PAGE 4
OMPA Member Cities: Altus - Blackwell - Comanche - Copan - Duncan - Edmond - Eldorado - Fairview - Frederick - Geary - Goltry - Granite - Hominy -
Kingfisher - Laverne - Lexington - Mangum - Manitou - Marlow - Newkirk - Okeene - Olustee - Orlando - Pawhuska - Perry - Ponca City - Pond Creek
Prague - Purcell - Ryan - Spiro - Tecumseh - Tonkawa - Walters - Watonga - Waynoka - Wetumka - Wynnewood - Yale
Printed at no cost to the taxpayers of Oklahoma. 250 copies of this publication have been printed by OMPA at a cost of $296.01.
Questions?
For more information about these and other programs, please contact the
OMPA Member Services staff at 405/340-5047:
Drake N. Rice Director of Member Services
Bruce Ackerman Member Services Representative II
Larry Unnerstall Distribution Planning Engineer
Roger Farrer Energy Services Manager
Palma Lough Energy Services Specialist
Jennifer Rogers Media Specialist
Tom Willis Energy Services Engineer
Kent Walker Energy Services Auditor
Scan this QR code with your smartphone Or visit OMPA’s website: www.ompa.com.
to view information about OMPA.
Distribution Engineering
Distribution System Map Updates
Emergency Action Plan
Power Partners
Service Reliability
System Maintenance Plan
Utility Rate Analysis
SCAN IT