July 28, 2026
Attorney General Drummond
Members of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission
State of Oklahoma
Dear Attorney General Drummond and Members of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission,
On behalf of the 60 Plus Association, also known as the American Association of Senior Citizens, and the Oklahoma seniors we represent, we urge you to support a self-supply policy, sometimes called “bring your own new generation,” for the state’s largest new electricity users.
We have consistently supported an “all the above” approach when it comes to energy, and this policy clearly fits into that overriding philosophy.
Oklahoma’s affordable and dependable energy has helped make the state an attractive place to invest, build, and create jobs. We support that growth and want Oklahoma to remain competitive. At the same time, economic development should proceed in a way that protects the seniors, families, and small businesses already paying into the electric system.
Many of our members are retired and live on fixed incomes. Their monthly budgets leave little room for unexpected increases in electricity costs, especially during the hottest months of the year. For these Oklahomans, even a modest rate increase can force difficult decisions about groceries, medicine, and other household expenses.
The arrival of large industrial facilities can create substantial new demand for electricity. Serving that demand may require new generation, transmission lines, and other infrastructure. Oklahoma’s leaders should establish clear rules for who pays those costs before utilities make investments that could remain on customer bills for decades.
A self-supply policy offers a straightforward answer. It would require the largest new electricity users to provide or finance the additional generation and related infrastructure their operations require. Companies with the resources to create significant new demand would take responsibility for meeting it, while existing customers would remain protected from costs they did not cause.
This approach would also allow Oklahoma to welcome major employers without placing the financial risk of their projects on seniors and other residential customers. Large companies could move forward with greater certainty about their energy needs, and new generation could come online alongside the demand it is intended to serve.
Without firm protections, utilities may seek to spread the cost of new generation across their full customer base. That could leave a retired couple in Lawton, a small business in Tulsa or a family in rural Oklahoma helping finance
infrastructure built primarily for one large corporate customer. Those households and businesses should not carry costs that belong to companies capable of paying their own way.
You play important roles in protecting Oklahoma ratepayers and reviewing how utilities recover their costs. We ask you to use that authority to prevent unfair cost-shifting and ensure that decisions involving major new electric loads account for the interests of existing customers.
We urge you to support a self-supply policy that requires the largest new electricity users to bring or finance the power they need. This framework would protect ratepayers, support continued investment, and help preserve the affordable energy that has long strengthened Oklahoma’s economy.
Thank you for your consideration. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss this issue and serve as a resource as you evaluate the policies before you.
Sincerely,
James Martin, Founder & Chairman
Saul Anuzis, President
