Energy & Environment

PSO's plans to purchase power plant in Jenks would raise customers' bills

KOSU | By Graycen Wheeler

Published September 19, 2024 at 5:05 AM CDT

Public Service Company of Oklahoma is asking the Oklahoma Corporation Commission for approval to purchase an existing natural gas power plant in Jenks for $730 million.

To cover that purchase, PSO plans to incrementally raise consumer costs. By June of next year, the average PSO power customer would see an increase of about $7 on their monthly bill. The company also plans to request another rate hike in 2025.

PSO said this purchasing an existing facility is cheaper than other options to meet rising demand.

“Adding this natural gas facility to our fleet allows us to serve our customers efficiently and reliably without the need to construct a new plant,” PSO executive Leigh Anne Strahler said in a statement. “PSO’s purchase of this cost-effective, local resource is a win for our customers and for the community.”

The plant, Green Country Energy, began operations in 2002 and is currently owned by J-Power USA. PSO says purchasing it will help the company meet its customers’ projected power needs.