Dear Senator Ford,
¶ 0 This office has received your request for an official Attorney General Opinion addressing the following question:
Does the term "including any rural electric cooperativereceiving its electricity from any wholesale cooperative," asused at 82 Ohio St. 1991, § 863(A)(2), refer to thosecooperatives located within the State of Oklahoma which directlyor indirectly receive power generated by the Grand River DamAuthority or does it refer to any rural electric cooperativeregardless of the source from which it receives its power orregardless of its location?
¶ 1 The Grand River Dam Authority ("the Authority"), a conservation and reclamation district, is a governmental agency established at 82 Ohio St. 1991 and Supp. 1996, §§ 861-890. The powers, rights, privileges and functions of the district are exercised by a board of seven (7) directors. 82 Ohio St. 1991, §863[
There is hereby created the Grand River Dam Authority Board of Directors Nominating Committee, hereinafter referred to as the "Committee", which shall consist of representatives from:
1. Each municipal customer of the Grand River Dam Authority. A single representative shall be selected by the governing body of each municipality to serve at the pleasure of that governing body;
2. Each rural electric cooperative customer of the Grand River Dam Authority, including any rural electric cooperative receiving its electricity from any wholesale cooperative. Each representative shall be selected by the governing body of the rural electric cooperative to serve at the pleasure of that governing body; and
3. The industrial customers of the Grand River Dam Authority. The industrial customers shall meet and select from among themselves five (5) representatives to serve on the Committee and to serve at their pleasure. The five (5) representatives shall be selected at a meeting of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the industrial customers of the Grand River Dam Authority.
82 Ohio St. 1991, § 863[
¶ 2 You have asked this office to determine whether the above-highlighted language limits nominating committee membership to cooperatives located within the State of Oklahoma which directly or indirectly receive power from the Authority or alternatively, if the language is intended to include any rural electric cooperative regardless of the source from which it receives its power and regardless of its location.
¶ 3 "[I]t is a sound rule of statutory construction that statutes must be interpreted in light of the context." Davis v.State,
¶ 4 There is nothing in the statute that states or implies that committee membership is limited to cooperatives located in the State of Oklahoma. Any cooperative meeting the criteria, regardless of location, is entitled to representation on the nominating committee.
¶ 5 It is, therefore, the official Opinion of the AttorneyGeneral that: Any rural electric cooperative, regardless of its location,receiving its electricity through a wholesale cooperativereceiving its electricity from the Grand River Dam Authority isentitled to representation on the Grand River Dam Authority Boardof Directors Nominating Committee.
W.A. DREW EDMONDSON ATTORNEY GENERAL OF OKLAHOMA
DOUGLAS F. PRICE ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL