It’ll likely be a couple more months before Oklahoma residents see relief on their electric bills — and even that’s not guaranteed.
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission’s administrative law judge, Kenneth Behrens, made a recommendation for commissioners to consider in the Public Service Company of Oklahoma’s pending request to raise rates.
Behrens disagreed with PSO’s request to change how the company charges customers for transmitting electricity to them. This could result in an average residential bill increase between $9.64 and $12.09.
He recommended approval for an expansion and extension of riders, which are the extra charges that aren’t part of your monthly electricity usage. Behrens said these riders could be reviewed in the next general rate case.
He also recommended approval of the large load tariff proposal, which PSO did not sign onto. This would establish a new rate class for large-load customers putting more than 75 megawatts on the grid — equivalent to more than 30,000 homes. The proposal comes amidst rising concern over data centers, many of which would count as large-load customers.
Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett says it could still be at least a couple more months before any final ruling comes. All parties involved in PSO’s rate case can file exceptions to the recommendation. Then there will be hearings for those.
“Commissioners will likely get the case late September and make a final ruling mid-October,” Hiett said in an email to the Flyer. “This is my best guess, but timing can vary widely.”
One caveat: Commissioners also begin hearings for Oklahoma Gas & Electric and Google’s special contract Sept. 9, which he says could create some scheduling delays for PSO’s case.
Hiett said it appears Behrens was very thorough, and he agrees with most of the findings. He will dive back into the recorded testimony to develop a final position, especially when it comes to PSO’s request for $72 million in revenue.
In the meantime, you’re still on the hook to pay an extra $11 per month until commissioners decide on Behren’s recommendation. You could see some money flow back to your wallet — eventually, if the $11 you’re paying now is higher than what PSO gets in a rate increase.
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