An Administrative Law Judge spent two hours Tuesday morning hearing testimony regarding Oklahoma Gas and Electric’s reduced rate hike request totaling $126.6 million before adjourning to hear oral arguments on Thursday.
Judge Carly Ortel presided over the second hearing scheduled into the rate hike request that had originally totaled $332 million before the utility reached a settlement with several organizations including the State Attorney General. Two Oklahoma Corporation Commissioners, Todd Hiett and Kim David attended the hearing.
Attorneys for OG&E and the groups that reached the stipulated agreement or settlement were on hand. They included the Corporation Commission’s Public Utility Division, the Oklahoma Attorney General, the Oklahoma Industrial Energy Consumers, Federal Executive Agencies, Association of Electric Cooperatives, OG&E Shareholders Association, Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma, CMC Steel and Walmart Inc. While AARP did not sign the agreement, its representatives attended the morning session.
Much of the two-hour hearing focused on brief testimony from witnesses for OG&E, the Public Utilities Division and the Attorney General who explained and defended the decision to reach a settlement.
Judge Ortel scheduled a third hearing to be held Thursday morning at 10:30 to hear any possible arguments regarding the settlement. The first hearing into the rate hike case was held Monday and the ALJ heard from one member of the public. The hearing lasted only 10 minutes.