In April of this year, AARP asked 850 older Oklahomans about data centers and utility costs. The findings were collected via survey.
What was collected said 92% of older Oklahoman’s agree policymakers need to make sure residents do not pay for the utility costs of data centers. Another 86% said data center companies should foot the bill if grid upgrades are necessary.
Now, AARP Oklahoma's advocacy director Joy McGill is calling on other residential ratepayers to tell their story.
“We want people to make their voices heard because the corporation commissioners or our elected officials, they need to hear from everyday Oklahomans on the issues that are impacting them,” said McGill.
In this instance, the recent Public Service Company of Oklahoma’s rate hikes case. Customers are already seeing an $11 interim rate hike as PSO awaits approval from the Corporation Commission. And, with their approval, McGill said the average ratepayers PSO electric bill could go up permanently.
McGill said Oklahomans can fight this. One way to do that is by sending a message to the Corporation Commissioner's personally via email or online submission form on the Commission's website.
McGill acknowledges that understanding how utilities set their rates is complicated, but...
“It's not complicated as a consumer to make sure that you're making your voice heard with the corporation commission or by way of our outreach mechanisms that can get the message to the corporation commissioner," said McGill. "The point is the message needs to be made to the individuals who are making the decisions and what those impacts are to residential ratepayers.”
The full survey results can be found here.
