Oklahoma Corporation Commission
Encyclopedia
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission is the public utilities commission
of the state of Oklahoma
run by three state-wide elected Commissioners, assisted by over 400 employees. It regulates oil and gas drilling, utilities and telephone companies.
Each member serves a six-year term. The terms are staggered so that one Commissioner is up for re-election every two years, in even-numbered years. Commissioners are not subject to term limits. The Commission Chairman is determined by the membership.
In case of vacancy the Governor of Oklahoma
appoints a replacement, to stand until the next general election. The Commissioner elected at that election will serve the remaining unexpired term, so as to maintain the staggered term system.
Early emphasis for the Commission was on regulation of railroad routes and rates. Through changes by the Legislature, and the change in services considered essential to the public welfare, the Commission presently regulates public utilities, oil and gas industry (exploration, drilling, production and waste disposal), motor carrier transport, and petroleum products industry (transportation, storage, quality and dispensing). The Commission also monitors a number of federal programs for compliance in Oklahoma. The Commission also oversees the conservation of natural resources, avoiding waste production, abate pollution of the environment, and balancing the rights and needs of the people of Oklahoma with those of the regulated entities.
Public Utilities Commission
A Utilities commission, Utility Regulatory Commission , Public Utilities Commission or Public Service Commission is a governing body that regulates the rates and services of a public utility...
of the state of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
run by three state-wide elected Commissioners, assisted by over 400 employees. It regulates oil and gas drilling, utilities and telephone companies.
Qualifications
To be elected to the Corporation Commission, a person must meet the following requirements:- Have been a citizen of Oklahoma for over two years before their election
- Must be at least 30 years old
- Must not have interest, directly or indirectly, in any entity regulated by the Commission
Each member serves a six-year term. The terms are staggered so that one Commissioner is up for re-election every two years, in even-numbered years. Commissioners are not subject to term limits. The Commission Chairman is determined by the membership.
In case of vacancy the Governor of Oklahoma
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
appoints a replacement, to stand until the next general election. The Commissioner elected at that election will serve the remaining unexpired term, so as to maintain the staggered term system.
Duties
The Commission regulates and enforces the laws and supervised the actives associated with:- The exploration and production of oil and gas
- The storage and dispensing of petroleum based fuels
- The establishment of rates and services of public utilities
- The operation of intrastate transportation
Early emphasis for the Commission was on regulation of railroad routes and rates. Through changes by the Legislature, and the change in services considered essential to the public welfare, the Commission presently regulates public utilities, oil and gas industry (exploration, drilling, production and waste disposal), motor carrier transport, and petroleum products industry (transportation, storage, quality and dispensing). The Commission also monitors a number of federal programs for compliance in Oklahoma. The Commission also oversees the conservation of natural resources, avoiding waste production, abate pollution of the environment, and balancing the rights and needs of the people of Oklahoma with those of the regulated entities.
Membership
As of 2010, the following are the members of the Commission:| Member | Officer | Since | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Anthony Bob Anthony Bob Anthony is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Anthony is currently serving his fourth consecutive six-year term on the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, where he has served since 1989... |
Chair | January 9, 1989 | Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
| Jeff Cloud Jeff Cloud (politician) Jeff Cloud is an American Republican politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Jeff Cloud was elected statewide to a six-year term on the Oklahoma Corporation Commission on November 5, 2002, and assumed the chairmanship of the Commission in June 2005... |
Vice-Chair | January 13, 2003 | Republican |
| Dana Murphy Dana Murphy Dana Murphy is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Murphy is currently serving her second term, and first full term, on the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.... |
Member | January 12, 2009 | Republican |
Notable former members
- J.C. WattsJ.C. WattsJulius Caesar "J. C." Watts, Jr. is an American politician from Oklahoma who was a college football quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners and professionally in the Canadian Football League. Watts served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003 as a Republican, representing the 4th...
(member 1990-1995, chairman 1993-1995), resigned to successfully run for Congress - Jim RothJim RothJim Roth is an American politician from the state of Oklahoma. A Democrat, Roth was appointed by Republican Governor Mary Fallin to serve on the Oklahoma State Election Board as the panel's lone Democrat. As of September 2011, the Governor's appointment of Roth was awaiting confirmation by the...
(member 2007-2009), first ever openly LGBTLGBTLGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
to hold a state-wide elected office in Oklahoma
Organization
- Corporation Commission
- Administration Division - responsible for providing central services to the Commission's division as well as direct support staff to the Commission members
- Public Information Office
- Finance Office
- Human Resources Office
- Administrative Programs Office
- Office of the Secretary to the Commission
- Administrative Hearings Office - responsible for overseeing all hearings and appeals of the Commission's regulations
- Transportation Division - responsible for licensing and regulating commercial motor carrierMotor carrierMotor carrier may refer to:* A company which employs large semi-truck and bus drivers. See Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration .* Motor Carrier an English automobile....
s, natural gas pipelinesPipeline transportPipeline transport is the transportation of goods through a pipe. Most commonly, liquids and gases are sent, but pneumatic tubes that transport solid capsules using compressed air are also used....
, and railroad companies, and administers the International Fuel Tax AgreementInternational Fuel Tax AgreementThe International Fuel Tax Agreement is an agreement between the lower 48 states of the United States and the Canadian provinces, to simplify the reporting of fuel use by motor carriers that operate in more than one jurisdiction. Alaska, Hawaii, and the Canadian territories do not participate...
and International Registration PlanInternational Registration PlanThe International Registration Plan is a registration reciprocity agreement among the contiguous United States and Canadian provinces which provides payment of registration fees on the basis of total distance operated in all jurisdictions...
- Administrative and Regulatory Operations Unit
- Administrative Support Department
- Requirements Department
- Enforcement Support Department
- Safety Support Department
- Field Operations Unit
- Motor Carrier and Motor Vehicle Enforcement Department
- Pipeline Safety Department
- Railroad Department
- IFTA/IRP Unit
- IFTA/IRP Registration and Licensing Services Department
- Technical Services Department
- Audit Department
- Administrative and Regulatory Operations Unit
- Oil and Gas Conservation Division - responsible for enforcing Commission rules that prevent pollution caused by oil and gas
- Field Operations Department
- District 1 Office - Bristow
- District 2 Office - Kingfisher
- District 3 Office - Duncan
- District 4 Office - Ada
- Pollution Abatement Underground Injection Control Department
- Technical Services Department
- Field Operations Department
- Consumer Services Division - responsible for hearing complaints against regulated utilities and for overseeing appeals to the Commission members
- Oil and Gas Complaints Department
- Public Utility Complaints Department
- Mineral Owners Escrow Account Department
- Administrative Proceedings Office
- Public Utilities Division - responsible for licensing and regulating electric power utilitiesElectric utilityAn electric utility is a company that engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity for sale generally in a regulated market. The electrical utility industry is a major provider of energy in most countries. It is indispensable to factories, commercial establishments,...
, natural gas utilities, drinking water utilitiesDrinking waterDrinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
, and telecommunications utilitiesTelecommunicationTelecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...
- Regulatory and Administrative Oversight Department
- Economic Analysis and Research Department
- Financial Auditing Department
- Petroleum Storage Tank Division - responsible for enforcing state and federal regulations and administers certain assistance programs applicable to the storage, quality, and delivery of refined petroleum products
- Accounting Department
- Administration Department
- Compliance and Inspection Department
- Technical Department
- Information Technology Division - responsible for overseeing all information technologyInformation technologyInformation technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
used by the Commission - Office of the General Counsel - responsible for providing legal advice to the Commission
- Agency Counsel Section
- Consumer Services Section
- Deliberations Section
- Petroleum Storage Tank/Transportation Section
- Oil and Gas Section
- Public Utilities Section
- Administration Division - responsible for providing central services to the Commission's division as well as direct support staff to the Commission members
Staffing
The Corporation Commission, with an annual budget of over $60 million, is one of the larger employers of the State. For fiscal year 2009, the Commission was authorized 480 full time employees.| Division | Number of Employees | Budget (in millions) |
|---|---|---|
| Administration Division | 34 | $4.4 |
| Consumer Services Division | 17 | $1.4 |
| Petroleum Storage Tank Division | 55 | $9.2 |
| Oil and Gas Conservation Division | 123 | $15 |
| Administrative Hearings Office | 35 | $3.4 |
| Public Utilities Division | 33 | $5.2 |
| Office of Legal Services | 26 | $2.7 |
| Transportation Division | 131 | $16.2 |
| Information Technology | 26 | $2.8 |
| Total | 480 | $60.2 |
External links
- Oklahoma Corporation Commission official website
- Voices of Oklahoma interview with Bob Anthony. First person interview conducted on April 27, 2010 with Bob Anthony. Original audio and transcript archived with Voices of Oklahoma oral history project.