Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) Chairman Kim David commended President Donald J. Trump for his leadership in announcing a national “Rate Payer Protection Pledge” during his February 24 State of the Union Address, an initiative aimed at ensuring that large energy users such as data centers supply their own power and do not shift infrastructure costs onto residential consumers.
Chairman David said Oklahoma has already adopted this same ratepayer-first approach. “President Trump’s pledge reflects the principle I’ve advanced: growth should never come at the expense of families and small businesses,” Chairman David said. “We are ensuring that large-load customers pay their own way.”
Consistent with that policy, the OCC has ordered Oklahoma electric utilities to develop large-load tariffs requiring high-demand customers to fund the infrastructure, generation, and grid upgrades needed to serve their facilities.
“These tariffs ensure that new large-load customers, not Oklahoma families, pay for the generation and transmission build-out they require,” Chairman David said. “This is exactly the kind of ratepayer protection President Trump called for.”
Additionally, Oklahoma enacted Senate Bill 480 supporting behind-the-meter power generation, allowing large users to build or contract generation located at or near their facilities. Building generation closer to the end user reduces transmission costs and grid impacts for all customers.
Chairman David noted Oklahoma’s advantages for responsible large-load development, including abundant natural gas production, extensive pipeline infrastructure, and electricity prices that rank among the lowest in the nation.
“Oklahoma can support new energy-intensive industries without raising rates on existing customers,” Chairman David said. “We appreciate President Trump’s leadership on keeping power affordable for American families.”