OGE Energy Corp. said that its OG&E utility subsidiary is restoring service to more than 300,000 customers who lost power following the Oklahoma ice storm of Dec. 8-10, a new record outage total for the company in a single storm.

OG&E has more than 1000 people in the field working on ice storm response, with OG&E employees assisted by contractors, utility personnel and tree crews from states including Texas, Arkansas, New Mexico, Louisiana, Mississippi and Indiana.

OG&E officials said they appreciate customers' patience as the company works to restore service as safely and quickly as possible.

The service restoration costs associated with the ice storm are expected to be significant, but will not have an immediate affect on customer rates or company earnings. In a rate order approved by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission in 2005, OG&E is allowed to book storm-related expenses related to Oklahoma as a regulatory asset to be reviewed for recovery in future rate cases.