2023 Oklahoma Statutes › Title 17. Corporation Commission › §17-158.25. Exclusive rights within territory - New electric-consuming facilities.

A. Except as otherwise provided herein, each retail electric supplier shall have the exclusive right to furnish retail electric service to all electric-consuming facilities located within its certified territory, and shall not furnish, make available, render or extend its retail electric service to a consumer for use in electric-consuming facilities located within the certified territory of another retail electric supplier; provided that any retail electric supplier may extend its facilities through the certified territory of another retail electric supplier, if such extension is necessary for such supplier to connect any of its facilities or to serve its consumers within its own certified territory.
B. Except as provided in subsections C and E of this section, any new electric-consuming facility located in an unincorporated area which has not as yet been included in a map issued by the Commission, pursuant to Section 158.24 of this title, or certified, pursuant to Section 158.24 of this title, shall be furnished retail electric service by the retail electric supplier which has an existing distribution line in closer proximity to such electric-consuming facility than is the nearest existing distribution line of any other retail electric supplier. Any disputes under this subsection shall be resolved by the Commission.
C. If the Commission, after hearing, shall determine that the retail electric service being furnished or proposed to be furnished by a retail electric supplier to an electric-consuming facility is inadequate and is not likely to be made adequate, the Commission may authorize another retail electric supplier to furnish retail electric service to such facility.
D. Except as provided in subsection C of this section, no retail electric supplier shall furnish, make available, render or extend retail electric service to any electric-consuming facility to which such service is being lawfully furnished by another retail electric supplier on September 10, 1971, or to which retail electric service is lawfully commenced thereafter in accordance with this section by another retail electric supplier.
E. The provisions of this act shall not preclude any retail electric supplier from extending its service after September 10, 1971, (1) to its own property and facilities, in an unincorporated area, and (2) subject to subsection D of this section, to an electric-consuming facility requiring electric service, in an unincorporated area, if the connected load for initial full operation of such electric-consuming facility is to be 1,000 kw or larger.
F. To achieve the purposes of efficient, cost-effective retail electric service without duplication of electric facilities and to avoid unfairly shifting costs to residential consumers, retail electric service providers are required to establish and utilize rate tariffs which are specifically applicable to a rate class of customers composed of electric consuming facilities being served in accord with the 1,000 kw size exception found in subsection E of this section and located outside the retail electric service provider's certified territory. These tariffs may be for a specific electric consuming facility or for a class of electric consuming facilities taking service under this provision. For retail electric service providers that are rate-regulated by the Commission, the rates supporting this rate class shall be determined in the rate-regulated service provider's most recent rate proceeding. Rates for this rate class shall be designed to recover (i) the costs of extending service to the competitive load of electric consuming facilities of 1,000 kw or larger located outside the retail electric service provider's certified territory; and (ii) the allocated share of other costs associated with providing service to the electric consuming facility. Such tariffs shall be cost-of-service based and shall not subsidize other rate classes or be subsidized by other rate classes. Unless costs of extending service to such a new load are collected from the customer, those costs shall be included in the cost of service study in the next rate proceeding. If the electric service provider, in whose certified territory the competitive load is seeking electric service, chooses in writing not to compete for said competitive load or does not respond within thirty (30) days of receiving written notice by the customer, the terms of this subsection shall not apply.
Added by Laws 1971, c. 113, § 5. Amended by Laws 2023, c. 95, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2023.