Energy & Environment

Oklahoma AG's Office launches tip line for info on natural gas prices during Winter Storm Uri

KOSU | By Graycen Wheeler

Published December 20, 2023 at 5:25 AM CST

Gentner Drummond wears a dark suit and burgundy tie as he speaks behind a podium before a screen with featuring the Oklahoma Office of Attorney General seal. — Gentner Drummond at a press conference.

The Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office is seeking people with inside knowledge about how natural gas marketers handled Winter Storm Uri in February 2021.

Back in July, Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced his office would explore legal action against natural gas marketers for their actions during Winter Storm Uri. Drummond says the marketers created an unnecessary surge in natural gas prices during the freeze, forcing utilities to buy at 400 times the normal rate.

The AG’s Office is working with Oklahoma City-based law firm Foshee and Yaffe to build that case. This week, they’re opening a tip line for anyone who has information about potential wrongdoing or market manipulation during Uri.

The AG’s Office isn’t seeking information about how the storm affected individual gas bills, but is soliciting insights from people who have worked for or with the natural gas marketers. The online tip form is available here.