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Raelynn McMurchy leads a growing petition to address Public Service Company of Oklahoma's rising electric rates

Oklahoma residents are facing significant sticker shock as electric bills continue to rise across the state. Raelynn McMurchy, a Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) customer, launched a viral petition on Change.org to advocate for more transparency and a review of the utility's high rates. The petition has gathered nearly 8,000 signatures as customers express frustration over paying more for less energy in some cases. While PSO maintains that rate hikes are necessary to cover rising transmission costs, grid investments, and inflation, many residents find the current costs difficult to manage. State lawmakers, including Rep. Meloyde Blancett, have hosted town halls to explain that while data centers and artificial intelligence are major drivers of demand, they are not the sole reason for the increase. To protect residential customers, the administration announced House Bill 2992, which requires data center companies to cover their own infrastructure costs. Meanwhile, Summit Utilities Oklahoma has also filed for a rate increases to ensure a reasonable rate of return on its public service property.

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