Opinion ID: 160953
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: RTP Pilot Program

Text: 24 Finally, Trigen argues that OG&E has flexibility in setting its RTP rate and that this flexibility leads to abuse by OG&E, including misrepresentations and discriminatory withholding of the RTP rate. Aplee. Br. at 34-36. Specifically, Trigen argues that OG&E misrepresented the tariff to the City, and that OG&E unlawfully discriminated against its customers in deciding who to enroll in the pilot program. Aplee. Br. at 33. Trigen contends that OG&E's flexibility in determining the RTP rate means that the RTP rate is not actively supervised by the State and, therefore, outside the scope of state action. Id. at 33-34. 25 We disagree with Trigen's premise. OG&E has no discretion in setting its electricity rates. The RTP rate is governed by strict formulas defined in the OCC-approved tariff. Aplt. Reply Br. at 7. Under the RTP program, the customer is given discretion in determining his electricity rate by determining at what times of the day to use electricity. Accordingly, OG&E could only offer the City an estimate put together by an outside consulting firm, based on certain assumed usage patterns. 26 Trigen's discrimination claim clearly is barred by the state action doctrine. In its approval of the RTP tariffs and pilot program, the OCC explicitly stated in its Final Order that the proposed Day-Ahead and Week-Ahead Pricing Tariffs will not result in unjust or undue discrimination. III Aplt. Sep. Add. Ex. DX318 at 4. Even if the RTP program did result in discrimination, it would still be at the heart of the state action doctrine. The state action doctrine applies to immunize anticompetitive conduct from the federal antitrust laws when that conduct is undertaken pursuant to a clearly-articulated state policy that is actively supervised by the State. If Oklahoma wants to allow OG&E to discriminate in order to pursue a state policy and Oklahoma actively supervises the conduct at issue, than OG&E may discriminate and still fall within the bounds of the state action doctrine. 27 In sum, Trigen's arguments that OG&E's regulated electricity sales fall outside of state action immunity are unpersuasive. Therefore, because OG&E is acting in accordance with a clearly-articulated state regulatory program and because it is actively supervised by the OCC, we hold that OG&E's conduct falls within the heart of the state action doctrine and that the federal antitrust claims must be dismissed. 28