GRDA’s 2024 in Review: Part 1

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GRDA's 2024 in Review: Part 1

Jan 09, 2025

As the Grand River Dam Authority enters 2025, it anticipates a year of opportunity and milestones. Whether it be a major construction project, like the ongoing work on the new Unit 4, or another Team GRDA initiative, GRDA will mark these moments as it continues to meet its mission for Oklahoma. However, before we move fully into all the new year will hold, we wanted to take a brief look back at 2024 and some significant moments that have now entered the history book.

This week, we look at the first quarter of the year …

January: As the new year began, GRDA was planning a round of meetings with customers, to discuss its ongoing cost of service study. Those meetings would take place later in both January and February. Meanwhile, out on the western edge of the GRDA transmission system, GRDA's Cushing Crew was busy working along an electric transmission line between the Stillwater Kinzie Substation and the Stillwater 19^th Street Substation. That work was done as part of a fiber project that would help support system reliability. Finally, late January brought a round of extreme winter weather. However, earlier work on the part of Team GRDA to winterize portions of the facilities and equipment helped to ensure that the weather did not interrupt the flow of electricity across the system. Maintaining its reputation as a reliable electricity supplier continued to be a top priority for GRDA, year-round.

February: During a coal train delivery at the Grand River Energy Center on February 2, the first railcar shifted, derailing from the track. This caused both front and rear wheel assemblies to become disconnected. GREC maintenance was notified and crews worked through the night to make the complex, but necessary repairs safely and promptly. The month was also a time for indoor boat shows as many were already thinking about warmer summer days on the lake. Both the GRDA Police and the Ecosystems & Watershed Management Departments took part in these shows, at the Tulsa Boat, Sport and Travel Show and the Oklahoma Tackle, Hunting and Boat Show in Pryor. Late in the month, GRDA hosted a group of electrical and mechanical engineering students from John Brown University (Siloam Springs, Arkansas) at it toured GRDA hydroelectric facilities to learn more about power generation. It was just one of many times during 2024 when GRDA opened its doors to support education and workforce development.

March: The Bassmaster Classic, considered by many to be the "super bowl of fishing" returned to Grand Lake during the month. It marked the third time since 2013 that Grand hosted the biggest event in bass fishing, with the weigh-ins taking place at the BOK Center in Tulsa. The 56 event competitors launched each morning of the tournament from the Wolf Creek Park in Grove, where GRDA Police officers helped to coordinate the traffic and activities. Also in March, members of the GRDA Ecosystems & Watershed Management Department worked alongside the City of Tahlequah and Thunderbird Challenge Program cadets to plant native wildflowers at Mission Park in Tahlequah. The crews also pulled invasive grasses and performed other maintenance to help the new plants thrive. It was just one of the many ways GRDA worked to meet its environmental stewardship mission during the year.

Next week, we look back on GRDA's April, May, and June 2024.

GRDA is Oklahoma's largest public power electric utility; fully funded by revenues from electric and water sales instead of taxes. Each day, GRDA strives to be an "Oklahoma agency of excellence" by focusing on the 5 E's: electricity, economic development, environmental stewardship, employees, and efficiency.