AFPOK Launches Petition To Reject Regional Haze Rate Hike

You can link to their petition here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, July 22, 2013

Americans for Prosperity Petitions State to Reject Regional Haze Plan

Plan will hike electric bills up to $200 per year

Oklahoma City – Today the Oklahoma chapter of Americans for Prosperity (AFP-OK) began circulating a petition calling upon state policymakers including Governor Fallin, state legislators, and Oklahoma Corporation Commissioners to prevent utility rate increases on Oklahomans by rejecting the revised State Implementation Plan (SIP) for compliance with the Obama EPA’s regional haze rule.

AFP-OK State Director Matt Ball commented, “At a time when Oklahomans overwhelmingly agree that electricity rates are already too high, why should state policymakers support a settlement agreement with the Obama EPA and other liberal environmental groups like the Sierra Club that will raise rates on PSO customers up to $200 more per year and pave the way for rates to be raised on all Oklahomans?”

“President Obama has made clear his intentions on power plant regulation and this one EPA regulation, by mandating fuel-switching, will effectively mandate how much Oklahomans will pay for electricity,” Ball said.

“While the heavy-handed approach of President Obama’s EPA is likely to result in utility rate hikes on Oklahoma families and businesses, what is more troubling is that state policymakers might consider supporting it. This plan hurts Oklahomans’ pocketbooks and makes our state less competitive for jobs. AFP-OK is circulating this petition so that state policymakers are made aware of how Oklahomans feel about this important pocketbook issue.”

Passed by the Congress in 1977 as an amendment to the Clean Air Act, the regional haze rule is an aesthetic visibility standard designed to reduce haze on federal lands. In Oklahoma, it is currently being applied by the EPA to the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge near Lawton to mandate fuel switching at two power generation units more than 250 miles away in far northeastern Oklahoma. While Oklahoma Gas and Electric (OG&E) has opted to fight the EPA in court on this issue, Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO), has opted to settle with the EPA. This settlement agreement will result in an 11-12% rate increase, according to PSO estimates. Other estimates reflect a 20% increase at a cost of $200 more per year for the average Oklahoma family.

A link to the AFP-Oklahoma petition can be found HERE.

For further information or an interview, please contact Matt Ball at MBall@afphq.org or (405) 315-3668.

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is a nationwide organization of citizen-leaders committed to advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and intrusiveness of government is the best way to promote individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans. For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org

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