The matter of the latest rate hike request made by Public Service
Company of Oklahoma, one reduced to $155.2 million or $3.57 more a month for consumers, will be considered Tuesday by Oklahoma regulators.
There isn’t a guarantee a vote will occur but the issue is on the agenda of a Thursday afternoon meeting. The agenda stated
that there will be a “discussion of and possible vote” on a proposed Final Order in Case No. PUD2022-000093.
The Commission will review the recommendation of Administrative Law Judge Linda Foreman who held a three-day hearing in May in which the Attorney General, the Commission’s Public Utilities Division and AARP supported a joint stipulation in support of an agreement. The judge recommended approval of the agreed-upon rate hike, even though it was opposed by five other groups, the Oklahoma Industrial Energy Consumers, the Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma, Walmart Inc., the U.S. Department of Defense and the Alliance for Electrical Restructuring.
PSO’s original rate hike request was $294,500,000 and wanted to include three wind farms under the filing. The ALJ sided with the opponents in regards to the wind farms but allowed the northern Oklahoma Rock Falls wind farm maintenance expense as part of PSO’s cost of service.
PSO customers have written their objections to the Corporation Commissioners including the most recent one in which the customer noted, “People are struggling to pay their bills, times are very tough financially right now for the majority of the public.
We don’t make the money that the executives of pso make.”
We don’t make the money that the executives of pso make.”
The “concerned PSO customer” also said such a rate hike approval would come at a time when many Oklahomans are having to do without important things.
“Hiking up our bills mean less good for families/children, not being able to go to a Dr’S appointment, or have gas to go to work, not being able to keep food from shopping or stay cool and get great exhaustion.”
The Corporation Commissoin meeting will be held at 1:30 p.m.