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Empire acquisition by Liberty approved, with clean energy provisions

This week, the Missouri Public Service Commission approved the merger between Canada’s Liberty Utilities and The Empire District Electric Company. Liberty can now acquire all of Empire’s stock.

As part of the settlement agreement, Empire agreed to some clean energy provisions.

Empire will propose a new energy efficiency portfolio under the Missouri Energy Efficiency Investment Act as part of the agreement. It had been the only investor-owned utility in the state without a PSC-approved energy efficiency portfolio.

Empire also agreed to design and propose a community solar program, consider deploying microgrid technology, and study the potential for Combined Heat and Power, a technology that turns waste heat into electricity at industrial facilities.

Empire serves about 150,000 electric customers and 4,500 water customers in southwest Missouri.  Empire also provides natural gas utility service to about 43,000 customers through subsidiaries.