JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Public Service Commission held a quiet meeting after a week off. Their agenda meeting was composed of 6 new orders, all of which were approved, and brief discussion on cases regarding Osage Water Company and Empire District Electric.
Two matters were discussed amongst the Commission: the denial of the motion to compel regarding the Grain Belt Express Clean Line and KCTV5’s Sunshine request.
The commissioners voted 4-1 to deny the motion to compel. Commissioner Daniel Hall spoke on the motion, saying he believed that there could be a middle ground between the motions, which was ultimately denied because of the commission’s nondisclosure agreement with Grain Belt Express to not disclose confidential records. Landowners that would be affected by the building of the line requested to know more about how Grain Belt Express had come up with the cost of $0.02 per kilowatt-hour.
“It is absolutely a fair request; I would hold off on ruling on the first issue,” Hall said. “I’d be fine with them disclosing how they did it without divulging information.”
Hall’s vote on the matter was the only one preventing the Commission from making fully unanimous decisions today.
The Sunshine request for release of documents from KCTV5 regarding a gas explosion on East 113th St. in Kansas City was denied. Hall spoke up again, this time in favor of those impacted by the information.
“There is a significant public interest at stake here,” Hall said. “If there were a report of a leak next to my house, I would want to know. There may be times when public interest outweighs nondisclosure agreements.”
“I think we should consider that going forward,” Hall concluded.
An evidentiary meeting is scheduled in Joplin tomorrow at noon for the Kasey Caves v. Empire District Electric case.
Meetings will continue as regularly scheduled through October. There will be a public utility law symposium at the University of Missouri – St. Louis on the 17th.
The Commission will serve as an Exhibitor at the Senior Health Fair & Caregiver Expo 2014 in Riverside on September 25th.
| Tariff and New Orders | ||||
| Item No. | Case/Tracking No. | Company Name/Brief Description | Lead Staff/Additional Staff Contact(s) | |
|
1. |
Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) — Janice Shands v. Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District — Order Dismissing Complaint for Lack of Jurisdiction | Jones | ||
|
2. |
KCP&L Greater Missouri Operations Company — R&S Home Builders and Carol & Arvel Allman v. KCP&L Greater Missouri Operations Co. — Order Granting in Part Motion to Dismiss and Denying Motion to Amend | Jordan | ||
|
3. |
Ameren Missouri — Order Granting Request for Variance | Pridgin | ||
|
4. |
Grain Belt Express Clean Line, LLC — Order Denying Motion to Compel and Granting Motions for Protective Order | Bushmann | ||
|
5. |
KCP&L Greater Missouri Operations Company — Order Approving Staff’s Prudence Review | Bushmann | ||
|
6. |
Ameren Missouri — City of O’Fallon, MO and City of Ballwin, MO v. Ameren Missouri — Order Denying Application for Rehearing | Pridgin | ||
| Case Discussion | ||||
| Item No. | Case No. | Company Name/Brief Description | Lead Staff/Additional Staff Contact(s) | |
|
1. |
Summit Investment, LLC — Memorandum: Commission Decision in File Nos. SC-2014-0214 and WC-2014-0215; Summit Investment, LLC v. Osage Water Company | Burton | ||
|
2. |
Kasey Caves — Memorandum: Evidentiary Hearing in File No. EC-2014-0334; Kasey Caves v. The Empire District Electric Company | Burton | ||
| Other Discussion | |||
| Other Description | Brief Description | Lead Staff/Additional Staff Contact(s) | |
| Commission Scheduling Matters | – | Kenney (Robert) | |
| Legislation | – | Kenney (Robert) | |
| Budget | – | Kenney (Robert) | |
| Other | Publications – July and August 2014 Cases | Woodruff | |
| Other | Annual Universal Service Fund Certifications | Van Eschen, Couch, Dale, Glasgow, McMellen, Niemeier | |
| Other | KCTV5 Reporter Sunshine Request For Release Of Documents | Woodruff | |
| Closed Session | – | Kenney (Robert) | |
| Litigation | – | Kenney (Robert) | |
| Personnel | – | Kenney (Robert) | |
Rachael Herndon was editor of The Missouri Times until 2019. She also produced This Week in Missouri Politics, published Missouri Times Magazine, and co-hosted the #MoLeg podcast. Herndon joined The Missouri Times in 2014, returning to political reporting after working as a campaign and legislative staffer. In 2019, she entered Missouri’s cannabis industry, co-founding Greenway Magazine.
