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Attorney General Mike Hunter has filed a motion in support of the city of Bixby and concerned area landowners, who are opposing the newly planned route of the Wind Catcher project’s power line.

The new route was pursued after Public Service Company of Oklahoma's original route through Osage County was changed in January. Affected residents and city officials were notified last month of the new route by mail. City officials and landowners are asking the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to postpone a July 2 hearing to allow the city time for further review of the case and to provide corporation commissioners with concerns.

Attorney General Hunter said because Bixby residents weren’t notified until last month of the new route, they were effectively disallowed from participating in any previous public hearings before the commission.

In motions filed with the OCC, Bixby officials write, PSO never formally notified the OCC of its plans to change the original route of the power line from Osage County to a southern route running through the city.

Bixby officials continue, PSO never updated its application or testimony to show the differences between routes, the increased cost and never addressed how the electric line may affect the health, safety and welfare of citizens of Oklahoma who may live near the line.

Attorney General Hunter has said PSO has failed on several fronts to qualify for pre-approval and cost recovery, including failure to comply with the OCC’s competitive bidding rules, the inability to show an actual need for the additional generation capacity from the project and unrealistic assumptions as the basis for PSO’s estimated ratepayer savings.