In 1994, Easley authored a law setting up tax breaks for technologically challenging oil and gas well drilling and production techniques within Oklahoma to encourage more drilling within the state. Those tax breaks, periodically renewed by the Legislature, continue today. In January 2004, Easley resigned his Senate seat to become the Executive Director of the Grand River Development Authority. The state-owned electric utility is fully funded by revenues from electric and water sales, serves nearly 500,000 homes in Oklahoma, and manages 70,000 surface acres of lakes in the state, including Grand Lake, Lake Hudson and the W.R. Holway Reservoir. Under his leadership, the Authority: Created a new Assistant General Manager position in 2004 to formulate marketing plans and to get long-term power provider contracts to secure future revenue streams for the authority. It also, in the same year, created a new Office of Ecosystems Management within the authority to clean shorelines, to map structures and docks at Grand Lake and to improve the authority's stewardship of the natural resources under its control. Focused in 2005 on adding conservation and reclamation projects that included water quality studies, boater and sportsmen educational programs, and habitat improvement projects undertaken with cooperation from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board and Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Prepared a final draft in late 2007 of a shoreline management plan for Grand Lake to serve as a blueprint for future development around the 46,500-acre surface lake. Issued more than $575 million in revenue bonds in 2008 to make various system upgrades, including buying part ownership of a natural gas-fired power plant to add to the authority's portfolio of dams and coal-fired generating stations. The authority successfully sold the bonds at an attractive interest rate because of improved credit ratings brought about by solid management of the authority by its officers and board. Built and opened in 2009 a new Ecosystems and Education Center at Grand Lake that includes a water quality laboratory, storage facilities and conference space for lectures and public educational programs. Honors and memberships In 2002, Easley was named Man of the Year by the Oklahoma Rural Water Association in appreciation and recognition of his dedicated service and leadership at the local, state and national levels to promote the development and expansion of rural water systems, and for his exceptional efforts to assure an adequate supply of good quality water for all rural Oklahomans. In 2002,