Gentner Drummond wins Osage County lawsuit against NextEra Marketing
An Osage County judge ruled NextEra liable for excessive gas prices during Winter Storm Uri, handing AG Gentner Drummond a win in an Oklahoma lawsuit.
Attorney General Gentner Drummond secured a ruling against NextEra Marketing in Osage County district court. The company was found liable for charging excessive natural gas prices during Winter Storm Uri. The decision grants Drummond partial summary judgment.
The judge ruled NextEra violated two state laws during the storm. Those laws include the Oklahoma Emergency Price Stabilization Act and the Oklahoma Consumer Protection Act.
“This ruling marks an important victory in our fight to hold NextEra accountable for the staggering prices Oklahomans were forced to pay during Winter Storm Uri,” Drummond said. “My office will continue fighting to ensure NextEra answers for the harm it caused and to recover every dollar possible for the Oklahomans exploited during the emergency.”
A trial will determine the total amount of financial damages. The office said damages include overcharges, restitution, and disgorgement.
The decision followed an action by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The federal agency dismissed a petition from NextEra on Sept. 23.
NextEra had sought federal jurisdiction over issues in the state lawsuit. The dismissal kept the litigation inside Osage County court.
Drummond filed several related lawsuits against energy marketers over prices from February 2021. Courts consolidated those lawsuits into one proceeding.
Winter Storm Uri brought extreme cold across Oklahoma and stressed regional power systems. Summary judgment resolves legal liability before a trial addresses damages.
The case continues in Osage County to set the final payout amounts.
