Two years after Winter Storm Uri left Oklahomans with long-term increased bills to pay for the costs experienced by utilities in the state, state regulators are still dealing with the storm and its aftermath.
On Tuesday, a Corporation Commission Administrative Law Judge held a pre-hearing conference on the request of Arkansas Oklahoma Gas Corporation to be approved for the use of regulatory asset to recover its storm costs. The company stated its winter storm costs “of extraordinary gas costs” was $18,363,674.
The Commission has jurisdiction over the firm since some of its 60,000 residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers are in Oklahoma.
The Oklahoma Attorney General has approved a stipulated settlement agreement in support of AOG in which customers would see another $9.91 in their monthly gas bills if the measure wins final approval by Oklahoma regulators. The company’s original request proposed a monthly increase of $15.31 for customers for a 15-year amortization in order to pay for the winter storm costs.
The Attorney General determined the stipulation or agreement represents a “fair, just, and reasonable settlement of the issues.”
No decision was made by the ALJ.