Pryor MUB, GRDA celebrate 75 years of public power partnership

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Pryor MUB, GRDA celebrate 75 years of public power partnership

Aug 27, 2026

The Pryor Municipal Utility Board (MUB) and the Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA) celebrated 75 years of public power partnership on Wednesday, August 26, during a special luncheon at the MidAmerica Expo Center.

Approximately 200 guests were in attendance to mark the milestone, and heard from speakers including GRDA President/CEO Dan Sullivan, Pryor Mayor Zac Doyle, MUB Chairman Garry Harris, and MUB General Manager/GRDA Board Member Jared Crisp.

GRDA power, created at Pensacola Dam, first began flowing to Pryor in March 1951, one month after the citizens approved a new charter, allowing for the creation of MUB. That also followed a generous donation from Pryor civic leader and philanthropist W.A. Graham. A strong proponent of public power and Pryor's need to own its own electric distribution system, Graham gifted $280,000 to the city. The city later used those funds to buy the municipal electric system from Public Service Company of Oklahoma.

"I know that a city must have an income to survive and if Pryor is to continue to grow and meet the natural competition of larger places, it must have an income," Graham told the Pryor Jeffersonian in 1950, explaining the reason behind his generous donation. With those funds and the citizens' approval of that new charter, MUB was established and has provided utility services - including wholesale electricity supplied by GRDA - to Pryor citizens ever since.

"I have an opportunity to talk to mayors and municipal leaders across the state of Oklahoma on a regular basis and I will tell you that without hesitation that our municipal power model is the envy of many, if not all other communities and cities in the state," said Doyle during the luncheon, referencing Pryor's public power status and relationship to GRDA.

During his comments, GRDA President/CEO Dan Sullivan shared information on Pryor's electric history, from the town's first municipal light plant in town in 1905, which provided power from dusk to midnight, through to the current, longstanding partnership with GRDA. He also shared that, since GRDA's beginnings in 1935, 12 different Pryor citizens have served on the GRDA Board of Directors, including current member Crisp.

"The relationship has been a tremendous one," said Sullivan. "We love to have the opportunity to celebrate these 75 years of service to the community and the difference it has made in your ability to meet the needs of your customers being served by the people who live here. It's a great time for us as an organization at GRDA to stand with you and say thank you."

While much of the day was spent recognizing the long history of the partnership, Crisp also focused on the future of Pryor and the ongoing work at MUB. Much of that is possible, he said, due to the efforts of strong citizen representation on the MUB board. Such representation is one of the foundational aspects of a public power community. "They allow us to do what is best for this organization," said Crisp, referencing the MUB Board.

Harris, the current chairman and longtime member of that board, also spoke about doing what is best for the organization and community, and highlighted how that works well with GRDA.

"GRDA wants their customers to participate in the decisions they make," said Harris, adding that both cost and reliability have also been key components of the relationship for 75 years.

"It doesn't matter what the price of electricity is, if you don't have electricity coming," said Harris. "The best thing you can have is low cost and reliability, and that's what we see coming from GRDA."

At the close of the celebration, Sullivan presented a plaque to Harris and MUB, in recognition of the 75-year public power partnership between the two organizations. The plaque read: "Since 1951, this enduring relationship has reflected a shared commitment to reliable service, local control, and responsible stewardship. Through public power, revenues remain in the community - supporting essential services, strengthening local infrastructure, and enhancing the quality of life in Pryor."