Arkansas’ power regulating agency finds itself without power

The Arkansas Public Service Commission on Monday (Aug. 8) suffered a power outage that left the state utility regulators without computer service and outside parties without access to the commission’s electric filing system and docket database.

The Commission regulates 24 electric power companies in the Arkansas, including four investor-owned utilities, one generation and transmission cooperative utility, 17 distribution cooperative utilities, and two Regional Transmission Organizations.

John Bethel, executive director of the state regulatory agency, said power has been restored to the PSC’s downtown office in Little Rock and things are now back to normal.

“Everything is back in service today,” he said.

Although there was no docket activity on the PSC’s website, state regulators are fully aware that Colorado-based Summit Utilities announcement on Monday with Fort Smith-based AOG Corp. shareholders to acquire the company and its wholly-owned subsidiary Arkansas Oklahoma Gas Corporation (AOG), which serves nearly 60,000 natural gas utility customers in Arkansas and Oklahoma. Summit is acquiring a 100% stake in AOG, which has been owned by the family of Witt Stephens Sr. for 72 years.

AOG employs 220, and had revenue of $56 million in 2015.

That deal, which is expected to be completed in six to eight month, will eventually need final approval from the Arkansas power commission’s three-person regulatory panel, overseen by Chairman Ted Thomas.