In one of the most fiery public meetings in recent memory, Oklahoma’s Corporation Commission took a unanimous stand against two controversial energy bills — HB 2747 and SB 998 — that proponents argue will promote natural gas, but that critics warn could cost consumers and sidestep regulatory oversight.

During the latest Mitchell Talks Energy podcast, Scott Mitchell and energy journalist Jerry Bohnen unpacked the explosive session, where all three Corporation Commissioners — Todd Hiett, Kim David, and Brian Bingman — voiced sharp opposition to the proposed legislation.

Commissioner David didn’t mince words, calling out the aggressive lobbying tactics and misinformation circulating at the Capitol. “Every time I turn around, there’s another lobbyist,” she said. “We are being slandered in the building across the street, and it’s not true.”

The bills would shift power away from the Commission and toward the legislature, allowing utilities to bill customers for natural gas plant construction before the plants are operational. Commissioner Hiett raised constitutional and economic concerns, warning that this mirrors legislation passed in Kansas — where utilities immediately filed for $3.4 billion in ratepayer-funded projects.

Bohnen notes: “This is a rare, coordinated rebuke from three powerful state regulators. The message is clear — these bills could upend Oklahoma’s energy regulation and cost consumers in the long run.”

Mitchell and Bohnen also issued a call to fellow journalists: dig into the lobbying.

“Follow the money,” Mitchell said. “Who’s working for whom?”

🎧 Catch the full episode wherever you listen to podcasts.