Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Bob Anthony just received another call of support in his public records request for an Attorney General’s opinion regarding Anthony’s move to get 2021 winter storm cost records released to him.
Russell Ray, a Republican candidate running for Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner, is urging the commission to promptly release public records related to billions of dollars in questionable fuel costs stemming from a massive winter storm in 2021. Oklahoma customers are footing the bill for those costs amid allegations of market manipulation by natural gas traders.
He is the second candidate for the GOP nomination to come out in support of Commissioner Anthony’s request for records.
After 19 months, Corporation Commissioner Bob Anthony’s requests for records that could shed light on these serious allegations have gone largely unheeded. These documents should be released in the name of transparency and open government, Ray said.
“I wholeheartedly support Commissioner Anthony’s efforts to help consumers understand exactly what transpired with natural gas markets during winter storm Uri,” Ray said. “It was an extraordinary event that led to extraordinary consumer costs. Oklahomans have a right to know exactly what happened so that regulators and power providers can prevent it from happening again.”
The commission should be more forthcoming with this information, Ray said. Anthony’s request for a legal opinion on whether the commission is violating state law is just and sound, he added.
“After months of waiting, it’s time the commission comply and pony up the requested information,” Ray said.
A former spokesman and thought leader for America’s power generation industry, Ray has 20 years of experience evaluating energy policy, pricing and technology. Ray wants to use that experience to help the commission make better decisions about what’s fair for both consumers and utilities.
As OK Energy Today reported last week, Anthony’s initial request of the Attorney General drew immediate support from another candidate for Corporation Commmission—Justin Hornback. He too is seeking the Republican nomination to succeed Anthony who is term-limited and cannot serve another term on the commission.
“For the last two years I have campaigned about increasing transparency in politics. I spoke about denied requests of information when engaging with the OCC in my experience. Now today I read an article relating to Commissioner Bob Anthony also running into issues requesting information.(https://www.okenergytoday.com/2024/04/corporation-commissioner-wants-ag-opinion-whether-agency-is-obstructing-him-over-public-records/ – Jerry Bohen)”