JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Public Service Commission’s weekly agenda meeting took an interesting turn, as the Commission on Wednesday ordered a new working case to be opened in order to conduct a general review of its rules in compliance with an executive order issued by Gov. Eric Greitens.
Executive Order 17-03 requires all state entities to do a complete review of their rules and regulations.
Greitens puts freeze on all ‘job-killing’ regulations with executive order
“During the coming months, regulated utilities, residential, commercial, and industrial ratepayers, and members of the public may offer comments on the Commission’s existing regulations, as well as suggestions about how those regulations can be improved to simplify them and make them more effective, while removing any unnecessary regulatory burdens,” the commission stated in the order.
The commission plans to schedule public hearings to allow citizens and businesses to identify regulations that are ineffective, unnecessary, or unduly burdensome.
Comments may be submitted at the Commission’s website (www.psc.mo.gov) or by mail at Missouri Public Service Commission, P.O. Box 360, Jefferson City, Missouri 65102.
The PSC also denied two requests for rehearings in cases involving Ameren Missouri and Kansas City Power & Light.
Back in May, the PSC had received applications requesting a rehearing from Midwest Energy Consumers Group, the Office of the Public Counsel, Kansas City Power & Light Company, and Missouri Industrial Energy Consumers in regard to KCP&L’s request for authority to implement a general rate increase.
The PSC said there was not sufficient reason to rehear the matter, and also denied a later application from the United States Department of Energy and Federal Executive Agencies, filed on May 15, saying that since the effective date was May 13 and therefore untimely.
The request for a rehearing from Ameren centered around the matter of setting a rate for electrical vehicle charging stations was also denied, as the PSC ruled that there was not sufficient reason to hear the matter once again.
But also in that matter, Ameren had been directed by the PSC to file a new tariff in regard to the EV charging stations on June 7. Ameren submitted the new tariff with the requested language on June 9, and the PSC said on Wednesday that they had reviewed the filing and will take no action, meaning the tariff will go into effect as of June 17.
The final order that appeared before the PSC on Wednesday was in regard to On June 5, 2017, the Office of the Public Counsel’s complaint against Kansas City Power & Light Company (KCP&L) and KCP&L Greater Missouri Operations Company (GMO) regarding the operation of the Allconnect Program. The three parties filed a stipulation and agreement to resolve the matter, with KCP&L and GMO agreeing to pay $50,000 to the Public School Fund of the State of Missouri in lieu of Public Counsel’s pursuit of a penalty. They also agreed that amount will not be recovered from their ratepayers.
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.
