Customers of Public Service Company of Oklahoma should learn later Monday whether Oklahoma Corporation Commissioners might reject the utility’s request to raise rates to pay for a $730 million purchase of the Green Country power plant in Jenks.
Commissioners will meet at 1:30 in the afternoon to consider one item on the agenda and the one item is PSO’s request filed last year after it announced the pending purchase of the power plant. PSO wants authority to charge ratepayers more than $7 a month to pay for the acquisition. The total rate request is $753 million but as OK Energy Today reported recently, regulators are being advised by one of their Administrative Law Judges to reject the request.
“The Commission should deny PSO’s request for preapproval of the Green Country facility as it does not meet the standard set for preapproval in 17 O.S. § 286(C),” wrote ALJ Carly Ortel in her recent recommendation to the commission.
“The costs associated with Green Country are unreasonable and largely unknown.”
Even if commissioners follow the judge’s advice and reject PSO’s request, the company could still follow through with the purchase of the 23-year old power plant. It just couldn’t pass along the costs to consumers.
A. Call to order
B. Announcement concerning public notice
C. Determination of quorum
II. Case No. PUD2024-000057, Application of Public Service Company of Oklahoma for an Order of the Commission Granting Preapproval of the Purchase and Cost Recovery of the Green Country Generating Facility and Authorizing a Recovery Rider, for discussion, possible hearing, and possible vote(s) on:
A. Public Service Company of Oklahoma’s Motion for Oral Argument
B. Exceptions of Public Service Company of Oklahoma to the Report and Recommendation of the Administrative Law Judge