Electric department awarded

The Siloam Springs Electric Department has been recognized for outstanding reliability and service from MESO (Municipal Electric Systems of Oklahoma) with an index of 99.9923 percent in 2015. Only four cities in the four-state, 78-city region qualified for the award.

This award-winning index roughly translates to some residents being without power for less than forty minutes throughout 2015. The Siloam Springs Electric Department identifies, responds to and corrects power outage problems in less than one hour on average. By having local ownership of the electric system and crews located within two miles of most customers, customers don't have to wait for electric service crews to respond in Siloam Springs.

Tom Rider, General Manager of MESO presented the award Tuesday morning to the City of Siloam Springs Electric Department. "It's important for cities to maintain accurate records to measure their reliability and productivity," said Rider. "Siloam Springs Electric not only has taken many steps to maintain reliability but continues to invest in system improvement."

MESO is an electric utility trade association representing cities in Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas. The association's member utilities provide electric service to some 750,000 in four states.