Business & Finance
Soaring Summer Power Bills Fuel Protests and Disconnections in Tulsa
A federal report shows that Public Service Company of Oklahoma cuts customer power at five times the national average as hot weather and rising utility costs strain household budgets.
The short version
- A surge in triple-digit summer days has sent electricity bills skyrocketing in Tulsa, Oklahoma, sparking resident petitions and overwhelming local assistance non-profits.
- A newly released U.S. Energy Department report reveals that the city's primary utility, Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO), cuts off power for nonpayment at five times the national rate.
- While some states prohibit summer utility disconnections, Oklahoma regulators permit shutoffs as long as the heat index remains below 101 degrees.
Key facts
- A U.S. Energy Department report using 2024 data shows that PSO disconnects customers for nonpayment at more than five times the national average.[NPR]
- At least 19,000 Tulsa-area customers have their electricity cut off each month.[NPR]
- PSO sought a 15% residential rate hike this year but agreed in a settlement with the Oklahoma attorney general to lower the proposed increase to 1%, which is still awaiting regulatory approval.[NPR]
- The Oklahoma Corporation Commission allows summer utility disconnections to proceed so long as the local heat index remains under 101 degrees.[NPR]
- According to the Energy Department, over 13 million people across the United States have their electricity shut off annually due to unpaid bills, with about one million disconnected during the month of August alone.[NPR]
- PSO CEO Leigh Anne Strahler defended the utility's costs, writing that the company is investing in grid resilience and power generation to manage extreme weather and rising demand.[NPR]
What remains uncertain
- It is not yet finalized whether regulators will approve the proposed settlement limiting PSO's residential rate increase to 1%.[NPR]