Protecting Our Members: OAEC Signs Ratepayer Protection Pledge

The Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives (OAEC), a statewide association representing 27 distribution electric cooperatives and three generation and transmission cooperatives, has signed the White House Ratepayer Protection Pledge.

The pledge aligns with the Oklahoma Data Center Consumer Ratepayer Protection Act of 2026 and reinforces our longstanding commitment to protecting the members we serve. As Oklahoma experiences growing interest from data centers and other large electric loads, we believe the developers of these projects should bear the full cost of the generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure needed to serve them—not existing cooperative members.

Protecting our members, most of whom live in rural Oklahoma, is at the core of every decision we make. Guided by our values of safety, affordability and reliability, Oklahoma’s electric cooperatives are committed to ensuring that new economic development strengthens our communities without placing unnecessary financial burdens or risks on the families, farms and businesses we serve.

“Cooperatives exist to serve the people who own them—you, our members,” said Nicki Fuller, OAEC General Manager/CEO. “If a data center or any other large power user wants to locate within a cooperative’s service territory, the cooperative will carefully evaluate the project, require the developer to pay the costs it creates and protect the cooperative from unnecessary risk. We will continue doing what we have always done: plan responsibly, communicate transparently and keep affordability and reliability at the center of every decision.”

Five principles guide electric cooperatives as they respond to inquiries from data center developers:

• Data center operators must pay their own way

• A single data center can consume as much electricity as hundreds of thousands of homes and require major investments in new generation and grid infrastructure. Technology companies must fully fund the infrastructure and operational costs needed to serve their facilities and protect co-op consumers from costs associated with these projects.

• Local control must be preserved

• Electric cooperatives are owned and governed by the communities they serve. This local accountability ensures decisions reflect community conditions and priorities. Each co-op must retain the autonomy to determine whether serving a data center aligns with the best interests of its members.

• Affordable, reliable electricity is non-negotiable

• Reliable and affordable power underpins local economies and Oklahoma’s quality of life. Data center developments must not jeopardize system reliability or increase costs for consumers.

• Flexibility is essential

• No single approach fits every cooperative. Co-ops must have the flexibility to design customized agreements, rates, and programs that reflect local conditions while also balancing risks and benefits.

• Coordination with cooperatives is critical

• Electric cooperatives have deep expertise in managing local grid operations and reliability. Data center developers must work closely with co-ops to ensure large new loads are planned and integrated in ways that maintain safe and reliable service for all consumers.

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Media Contact:

Anna Politano, Director of Public Relations & Communications, Okla. Assn. of Electric Co-ops

Phone: 405-761-0289

E-mail: apolitano@oaec.coop