JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Public Service Commission’s weekly agenda meeting went by rather quickly on Wednesday, with just two orders and a case discussion to take care of during the open meeting.
The commission made short work of the two tariffs before them, both filed by Missouri Gas Energy, a division of Laclede Gas Company.
Both items were in regard to their filed tariff sheets, which requested a change in the purchased gas adjustment (PGA). The filing would result in an increase of roughly 7 cents per one hundred cubic feet (Ccf) for MGE. The current PGA factor sits at $0.49492 per Ccf, and the first tariff raises it to $0.56934 in an effort to offset the estimated rising costs of natural gas.
Laclede’s filing, however, takes a little more explaining. In addition to an amount for unrecovered actual cost adjustments (“ACA”), the tariff will increase the PGA rate for the total residential general winter only sales to $0.34611 per therm for the first 30 therms from the current rate of $0.27670 per therm, for all therms in excess of the first 30 therms, to $0.59022 per therm from the current rate of $0.52081 per therm; and for firm sales to $0.54708 per therm from the current PGA rate of $0.45018 per therm, an increase of $0.4690 per therm, which represents an increase of $1.13 per month for the average residential customer.
MGE and Laclede missed their sales this past winter, due to the mild season, so their hope is that by increasing the PGA now, it could prevent more drastic increases in the coming fall.
The new PGA changes would go into effect as of June 1.
But perhaps the more interesting part of the meeting was the case discussion, which concerned proposed changes and amendments in regards to the state statutes for the Missouri Energy Efficiency Investment Act (MEEIA) program. The PSC has been working on amending the language for weeks now, in hopes of putting something together that would be approved by the governor.
Chairman Daniel Hall did point out the fact that one of the changes hinges on whether the governor signs SB 112 into law, which he says would have some bearing on the rules, as it concerns the eligibility of customers taking advantage of the MEEIA program.
In the end, after several changes and additions to the language, the PSC all agreed that the proposed amendments should go to the governor’s office, which they hope to receive back and pass on to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) by June 30.
Benjamin Peters was a reporter for The Missouri Times and Missouri Times Magazine and also produced the #MoLeg Podcast. He joined The Missouri Times in 2016 after working as a sports editor and TV news producer in mid-Missouri. Benjamin is a graduate of Missouri State University in Springfield.
