Company: Oncor
Nomination Submitted by: Dallas Marketing Communications
Company Description: As the largest electric delivery company in Texas and a 21st century energy innovator with roots dating back to 1912, Oncor operates more than 140,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines serving more than 400 communities and 98 counties.
Nomination Category: Company / Organization Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Company of the Year - Energy - Large
 Nomination Title: Oncor
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the achievements of the nominated organization since January 1 2021, OR written answers to the questions for this category? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this first question: Briefly describe the nominated organization: its history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 201 words used. If the word count is more than 25 words over the limit, please deduct one (1) point from your score.
As Texas’ largest electric delivery company and a 21st century energy innovator with roots dating back to 1912, Oncor operates more than 140,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines and serves more than 400 communities and 98 counties.
Each year, Oncor invests billions in state-of-the-art infrastructure and advanced technologies to create a safer, smarter, more reliable power grid for its 13 million customers. Smart metering, predictive analytics, drone technology and advanced automation are all leveraged to create self-healing grid technology that can outsmart potential power overloads and outages. This year, despite ongoing supply chain impacts on builders, higher interest rates, and signals of a national recession, Oncor continued supporting tremendous, even record growth in some areas.
In addition, Oncor is supporting renewable energy adoption in a state that produces more wind power than any other. Today, Texans have access to more sources of cleaner, renewable energy than ever before.
Oncor works with communities, businesses, government representatives, and non-profits to build a better Texas. This includes their award-winning Super Safe Kids program that has helped more than 215,000 kids learn to be safe around electricity. Oncor leads by empowering its 4,500 employees to strive for innovation across the business.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this second question: Outline the organization's achievements since the beginning of 2021 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 249 words used.
Oncor’s annual Spirit of Innovation Awards demonstrates how the team is continuously striving for and celebrating excellence while serving customers and supporting unprecedented growth. Winning initiatives include:
- A process to use LiDAR (laser imaging, detection, and ranging) data to accurately identify trees and other vegetation that could cause outages and aid in vegetation management planning
- A turnkey solution to automate outbound calls, emails and texts to customers when Oncor intends to be on a customer’s property
- A mobile application for patrolmen and linemen to inspect and catalog structures and right of way areas for deficiencies
- New collaborative technology for the build out of a regional office, including a Tech Bar for employees
- An application that combines outage, asset and customer information stored in the enterprise data warehouse with a geographical information system
- A 'concierge' customer service for business accounts
- A tool that enables construction to understand resource needs across the service territory
This year’s innovation projects also showcased safety excellence for the first time. Key developments:
- A process where trucks and rubber goods are now tested after work hours resulting in zero days missed production time
- A philosophy called REAP (Recognize, Eliminate, Avoid and Protect) to enhance Culture of Safety
- A process to prevent cancellations and disconnects for non-payment requests in areas affected by a weather moratorium
- A series of workflows and controls to improve processes, productivity and accountability around cyber security
- A program that revised and enhanced a 25-page section in the Transmission Safety Handbook to standardize approaches
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this third question: Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the organization's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 250 words used.
Innovation doesn’t have an off switch at Oncor. That’s celebrated and recognized across the business and publicly through their social channels, website, “The Wire” online newsroom, the MyOncor app and “OncorTV”, where innovation, weather updates and community updates are frequently shared with employees. As a result, its corporate and field teams demonstrate this spirit of innovation every single day, making Oncor a true leader with a culture and reputation to match. This is true even in the face of extreme challenges.
Earlier this year, freezing temps and icing events plagued Oncor’s service territory. Then there was a summer of record-breaking heat with more than 68 days of triple digits. Following that, the Dallas metro experienced a once in a 1,000 years rainfall with more than 15 inches of rain in a single day. Through all of these events, the team exemplified the highest standards for how a utility should operate and upheld its strong safety record through severe weather and blue-sky days. This safety-first, innovative mindset is what makes Oncor a true industry leader that not only weathers the storms, but supports historic territory growth.
And on top of that, the team continues to fulfill a growing number of new renewable energy requests for interconnection each year, helping to support a more resilient, reliable and sustainable electric grid long into the future. The company is truly innovating like never before to stay ahead of Texas’ enormous capacity needs and to rise to the moment when the unexpected pops up.
- You have the option to answer this final question: Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 208 words used.
Corporate Website
MyOncor App - More power at your fingertips with the MyOncor app. Customers can instantly access their account and report outages, manage new service requests and receive real-time updates from Oncor.
Empowering Modern Life Video - Every day, Oncor is on a path to progress—using the latest tools and methodologies to better serve the people of Texas.
Oncor TV - Hurricane Ian Mutual Assistance - Oncor deployed 500 employees and contractors to Florida as part of a broader mutual assistance effort for Hurriance Ian, working directly with local utility partners at Tampa Electric and Florida Power & Light.
Super Safe Kids - Oncor is leading the way in educating kids about safety around power lines and equipment. Oncor's passion sparked Super Safe Kids, a lively roadshow and digital experience that is engaging students at schools across Texas—and, just as importantly, keeping them out of harm’s way.
Outage Reporting System – Customers can report a power outage or check the status of a previously reported power outage via Oncor's online reporting tool. New version was just rolled out in the last month.
Municipal Information Portal – This portal was created and introduced in 2022 to allow cities to manage all of their different properties under one account.
| Attachments/Videos/Links: |
|---|
|
