TRANSCRIPT:
LAYDEN: Science and environment reporter Chloe Bennett-Steele, you have been keeping an eye on electricity demand and how the state plans to meet that need. Regulators are even looking to nuclear energy as a possibility to fill that gap. What’s expected in 2026?
BENNETT-STEELE: Right. So what we know is that electricity rates are up across the nation, including in Oklahoma. People can see that reflected in their utility bills. Power demand is growing. And as more data centers come online, we can expect more conversations about protecting residential rates against larger grid customers. So our utility regulators, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, are exploring some agreements that would make sure that data centers or manufacturing facilities would be paying more than a regular household.
The state is also in the middle of a nuclear energy feasibility study. Oklahoma has never been home to nuclear energy reactors, but it's possible the regulators could encourage them to meet energy demand based on a study that's due in March.
LAYDEN: And Chloe, this dispute between the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and utility companies continues over rate increases for projects before they’re completed. What’s that about, and what’s next?
BENNETT-STEELE: Yes the state legislature passed a bill that basically requires the commission to approve something that's called construction work in progress, or CWIP, and that's only for natural gas projects. That means if your utility company files a rate increase today because they want to finance the construction of a new natural gas turbine, commissioners have to approve it.
It's important to note here that commissioners are very open about their feelings towards CWIP. They lobbied against it, saying it erodes some of their authority. And we got a glimpse of this in the fall when OG&E requested CWIP, but since they filed before the measure became law, they weren't able to get it.
Now, PSO has asked for CWIP in a rate case. It hasn't yet been heard, but it's likely we'll see commissioners try to work in some consumer protections before they approve a final order.
And I'll also be keeping an eye on how the state responds to renewable energy projects in the new year. Without these federal incentives, residential solar could certainly slow down, along with utility-scale solar and possibly wind projects.
LAYDEN: Health reporter Jillian Taylor. Let’s talk about President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, which passed in the summer. You’ve been reporting on the impact it will have on health care in Oklahoma, particularly related to Medicaid. What are you watching as some of these policies start going into effect?
TAYLOR: Yeah, so some changes won't be phased in until a few years from now, like those that impact the way Oklahoma finances their share of Medicaid spending and payments that help close the gap between Medicaid reimbursement and the cost of care. But providers are very concerned about how that will impact their ability to provide care, and so they're simultaneously preparing for them and speaking out against them.
But the ones we can expect to see movement on next year are the hour per month Medicaid work requirements for adults ages 19 to 64. The state Medicaid agency shared in an interim study this October that this is something they're currently working on. They're trying to connect with people with workforce and educational opportunities and it also shared it's looking at a potential technology solution like a mobile app so people could take a picture of their pay stub and it could be uploaded to the agency's portal. But that will require funding, of course. And the state agency says that there is a lot of work ahead. It feels this transition, though, will be manageable.
But providers and hospitals are concerned that people will lose access to their health coverage because they're unable to meet these requirements. And so if that happens, there's more uncompensated care. But states have until the end of next year to implement these requirements unless an extension is approved. So there will be a lot to report on as those changes are implemented.
LAYDEN: Well, Jillian, with the reality of these cuts to Medicaid, I know you think a lot about how it impacts rural communities, where health care outcomes are already poor under the existing situation. You’re following a federal program that hopes to help sustain rural health care. Tell us about it.
TAYLOR: Yeah, so what you're referencing is the Rural Health Transformation Program. It's about $50 billion that will be allocated annually to states between fiscal year 2026 to 2030. Half is distributed competitively and the other half is among states equally who have approved applications. And so the goal is not to make up for those billions of dollars in Medicaid spending cuts over 10 years, but to transform how health care is delivered through permitted funding uses, like provider payments, addressing prevention and chronic disease, and IT advances.
And so the governor designated the State Department of Health as the lead agency to develop and submit that application to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. And the federal agency told states to prepare it as if they would receive about $200 million annually over five years. And so in just a few weeks, Oklahoma will find out how much money they're going to get. And the state department of health engaged a lot of stakeholders to see what people wanted, including state agencies, a consulting firm, hospitals, tribal nations, and rural providers, and they all want a piece of that pie and are very concerned about how that money will be spent.
But the common themes that they want to see addressed are workforce shortages, options for leveraging technology, transportation challenges, and coordinated care. And many states have posted their application or a summary of it, but Oklahoma has not done this. But it does have a webpage dedicated to the program with some details. And the agency says that will be updated once funding awards have been announced. So it will be pretty interesting to see what gets approved for Oklahoma and how that impacts healthcare.
LAYDEN: Finally, StateImpact is known for its coverage of education issues from reporter Beth Wallis. She’s been on maternity leave the past few months. But she’s back with us now going into 2026. We’re all excited about that, but also so happy for her and her growing family. Jillian, Chloe, thanks a lot.
