Oklahoma’s Republican Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a lawsuit Wednesday against two Texas-based natural gas companies for their roles in soaring gas prices during the 2021 winter storm Uri.
The lawsuit is the first brought by the state against a natural gas utility over profits made during the storm, filed in Osage County, Oklahoma, by Dallas-based company Enable Midstream Partners, which acquired Enable Midstream Partners in 2021. The lawsuit was filed against ET Gathering & Processing and Houston-based Symmetry Energy. solution.
The lawsuit alleges that Enable and Symmetry used various tactics to reduce natural gas supplies and inflate prices during the devastating storm that caused temperatures to plummet across the country and left millions without power. claims.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond stands during the national anthem during the inauguration ceremony in Oklahoma City, January 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)
“I believe the level of fraud perpetrated against Oklahomans during Winter Storm Uri is alarming and unconscionable,” Drummond said in a statement. “While many companies acted as outsiders during this testing period, our analysis shows that some bad actors have made billions of dollars in ill-gotten gains. .”
Messages seeking comment left with ET and Symmetry were not immediately returned.
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Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach filed a similar lawsuit in December in federal court against a natural gas distribution company operating in the state. In Texas, which was also hit hard by winter storm Uri, utility company Griddy Energy is in a battle with state regulators over the huge cost of electricity that customers received during the deadly winter storm. A settlement was reached.
