The fight over the Oklahoma Corporation Commission’s recent approval of pre-approval costs for expanded Oklahoma Gas and Electric electricity projects will be revisited Thursday by the state regulators.
The case, Preapproval of New Generation Capacity and Rider Cost Recovery (Case No. PUD2025-0000038) is one of the agenda items for a meeting and involves hundreds of millions of dollars in costs for expansion of power-producing projects.
Commissioners have the issue up for reconsideration at their 1:30 p.m. meeting as a result of a challenge filed by the Oklahoma Industrial Energy Consumers group and the AARP. Both filed challenges to the recent 2-1 vote which also prompted OG&E to ask Commissioner Todd Hiett to recuse himself from further votes on the issue. The utility accused him of being biased in the case following his criticism and accusations against OG&E.
The recusal request, filed before Thanksgiving, accused Hiett of impartiality against OGE and partiality in support of the consumer group known as OIEC or Oklahoma Industrial Energy Consumers. But at last week’s meeting of the commission, Hiett was defiant and said he would not recuse himself from voting on the case.
““I find it to be very disturbing OG&E is attempting to intimidate and squelch the voice of a regulator to do his job,” he declared. “My colleagues and future commissioners should be greatly concerned because if they can do it to me, they’ll do it to you.”
Hiett called OG&E’s request absurd and without legal merit, noting the state Supreme Court had made it clear in previous rulings there was “no legal basis” for such a utility request.
“…the law is clear…bias does not require recusal.”
Commissioners heard arguments from OG&E, OIEC and AARP about the request to reconsider the vote. OG&E contended the two opposing groups were attempting to re-argue the order while OIEC and AARP contended, ““Your final order doesn’t offer up any consumer protection.”
AGENDA
Item Topic
I. A. Call to order
B. Announcement concerning public notice
C. Determination of quorum
II. Approval of minutes of prior meeting(s)
III. Consideration of and possible vote(s) on proposed or potential orders in cases on the daily signing agenda docket. The Commission may discuss and consider alterations, revisions,
or amendments to the proposed or potential orders. (Votes may be taken on individual cases, on the daily signing agenda docket as a whole, or both by individual cases and the remaining docket. The vote on daily signing agenda cases may be combined with the vote
on 24-hour signing agenda cases.)
IV. Consideration of and possible vote(s) on proposed or potential orders in cases on attached 24-hour signing agenda docket. The Commission may discuss and consider alterations, revisions, or amendments to the proposed or potential orders. (Votes may be taken on individual cases on the 24-hour signing agenda docket as a whole, or both by individual cases and the remaining docket.)
V. Discussion and possible vote(s) on a proposed Order regarding the Motion to Reconsider and Modify Order No. 753440 filed by Oklahoma Industrial Energy Consumers and AARP in
Case No. PUD2025-000038, In the Matter of the Application of Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company for Commission Preapproval of New Generation Capacity Pursuant to 17 O.S. § 286(C) and Rider Cost Recovery, and any alterations, revisions, or amendments thereto at the meeting.
VI. A. Briefing on recent Transportation Division activity for motor carrier enforcement, ports of entry, and weigh stations, including the number of vehicles processed and screened, the dollar amounts, numbers, and types of citations issued recently and comparisons to prior periods, and the base jurisdictions involved, as listed by state— Chief Legal Counsel Mark Willingham
B. Discussion on summary of agency financial activity, including review of the July, August, September, and October 2025 financials and possible discussion of FY 2026 and FY 2027 budgets—Chief Financial Officer Holly George or Comptroller Jason Harjo
C. Briefing on administrative issues, which may include human resources; budget; information; technology; OCC building renovation updates—Director of Administration Brandy Wreath
D. Discussion and possible vote(s) regarding direction to Commission staff on VI (A)-(C)
VII. Adjournment