By Emma Murphy, Oklahoma Voice
OKLAHOMA CITY — An Oklahoma electric utility company requested that a commissioner on a governing board recuse himself from a case because of an “unacceptable bias.”
Oklahoma Gas & Electric Company, or OG&E, requested on Nov. 26 that Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett recuse himself from a case that would allow the company to expand its power generation sites. This includes building natural gas turbines at the Horseshoe Lake Power Plant in Oklahoma County, which OG&E estimated would total more than $506 million in capital costs.
Hiett said in a filing that OG&E would recover these millions from ratepayers.
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission is a three-person statewide elected board that regulates the state’s oil and gas, utility and transportation industries.
OG&E’s general counsel Chase Snodgrass argued in a filing that Hiett’s public comments demonstrate a bias against the company and he should recuse because “actual bias and the appearance of bias” violate Oklahoma’s ethical rules for public officials.
Hiett said OG&E is “evil” and called the company a monopoly spreading “propaganda,” according to Snodgrass’ filing.
“So, this is nothing more than the monopolies – once again, just like they have been doing at the Legislature, but now they are doing it at the Commission, they are trying to capture this regulatory body, utilize this regulatory body through an order to promote propaganda,” Hiett said at a public meeting Nov. 13, according to the filing.
“What we have in the state of Oklahoma is the two major utilities, both PSO and OG&E, have been working for several years over at the Legislature to systematically do two things, remove themselves from regulation and strengthen their monopoly status.”
At the same meeting, he said utilities have spent millions to send out mailers to consumers with “propoganda” about saving millions.
Hiett declined to comment Wednesday, but said he would offer comment at the Corporation Commission’s meeting Thursday.
Christi Woodworth, OG&E’s vice president of marketing and communications, said in a statement that the company didn’t want to take this action but was forced to because of Hiett’s comments.
OG&E did not send any mailers, she said.
“This case is about ensuring sufficient power generation for OG&E to serve our customers …,” she said. “On Nov. 13, the Commission approved three projects selected through the Commission’s competitive bid process. We also requested to use a particular accounting treatment that would have saved our customers $176 million in unnecessary interest costs over the life of the project.”
