In August 2023, soon after Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend as a category 3 storm, 19 OUC linemen and a fleet technician deployed from Orlando and traveled to the region to render mutual aid10 days later, they had assisted with the restoration of power to tens of thousands of grateful local residents.

Thanks to their efforts, OUC was recently recognized with the Florida Municipal Electric Association’s Restoring Communities Award.

“Extending support to each other lies at the heart of a community supported by public power,” said Attila Miszti, OUC’s chief operating officer. “At times, we may be the ones seeking aid, while at other times, we step forward to offer assistance. The assurance that a fellow public power entity stands ready to help when required is comforting, reinforcing our commitment to delivering dependable service to our customers,”

This marks the seventh consecutive year OUC has been recognized by FMEA with this award.

OUC crews assisting Tri-County Electric Cooperative restore power to 20,000 customers in Greenville, Florida.

Public power utilities like OUC call on each other for workers and supplies through mutual aid agreements coordinated through the FMEA.

Among the 16 Florida public power utilities acknowledged by FMEA this year, OUC was noted for its exceptional efforts in power restoration and active mutual aid participation during adverse weather conditions. OUC has received the recognition every year since 2016, which showcases its dedication to providing mutual aid.

OUC crews first assisted the City of Tallahassee, where 40,000 CTU customers were without power. They worked 14-hour days in hot and humid summer weather until the job was done, working in cooperation with two other Central Florida municipal utilities, Kissimmee Utility Authority and Lakeland Electric.

William Englert, line technician II, clears vegetation from a transformer in preparation for re-energizing a primary powerline in Tallahassee.

The OUC team, with its convoy of 15 utility vehicles, next made its way 40 miles east to Greenville to help Tri-County Electric Cooperative restore power to 20,000 customers.

In all OUC crews dedicated 10 days to restoring power in the region before heading home.