Oklahoma Poll: Voters See Competition as Key to Keeping Down Rates and Curbing the Power of Incumbent Utilities
February 15, 2024
A poll released today shows that Oklahoma voters overwhelmingly will not support the recently introduced legislation that would increase incumbent utility control over the state’s electric power grid and limit competition.
Conducted by national polling firm TargetPoint Consulting during the period of February 2-8, the poll found that a supermajority of voters agree that legislation being considered by the Oklahoma legislature that would give only incumbent utilities more rights to own and operate electric transmission lines has many downsides for consumers. While the legislation would allow other companies to build the lines, once completed, they would be forced to sell the lines to incumbent utilities. The legislation is similar to previously proposed Right of First Refusal legislation that would prevent any company but incumbent utilities from building electric transmission lines rather than allowing a fully competitive process to build, own and operate the lines.
The poll revealed that 6 in 10 voters say they are less likely to vote for a candidate who voted for Right of First Refusal legislation including 59% of Republicans, 68% of Democrats and 61% of Independents.
Results of the poll also show that:
8o% of voters agree that in a time of high inflation and high electricity rates, state legislators should be fighting to decrease costs for constituents and not raising them by implanting anti-competitive legislation.
77% agree that since similar laws have been thrown out by federal courts, we don’t need to be spending more money on lawyers and lawsuits when it could be going to fund schools, roads and other projects
75% agree that ROFR will increase power of utilities and want legislators to act in interests of citizens.
73% agree that eliminating competition drives up costs for everyone.
68% agree that letting government handpick which companies will get billions of dollars from consumers to build transmission lines flies in the face of what makes this country great - free-markets and open competition.
Many organizations representing business, major industries and consumers across Oklahoma say eliminating competition in any form would drive up costs of transmission projects. Those costs are then borne by customers in rate increases.