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This Week in the Missouri PSC: October 19, 2017

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – For those people who have been closely following the merger of Great Plains Energy and Westar Energy, the next steps have now been set in Missouri.

In Thursday’s agenda meeting of the Missouri Public Service Commission, the PSC set a procedural schedule, outlining the next steps for the case here in the Show-Me State.

With a unanimous vote, the commission approved a schedule, setting a hearing date in the case for March 12-16, 2018.

Here’s the proposed schedule:

  • Rebuttal Testimony – January 16, 2018
  • Surrebuttal Testimony – February 21, 2018
  • Discovery Cut-off -February 28, 2018
  • List of Issues, List and Order of Witnesses, Order of Opening, and Order of Cross-Examination – February 28, 2018
  • Statements of Positions, and Stipulation as to Material Undisputed Facts – March 5, 2018
  • Evidentiary Hearing – March 12 through 16, 2018
  • Initial Briefs – March 30, 2018
  • Reply Briefs – April 13, 2018
  • Order – May 9, 2018 (effective May 29, 2018)

The commission also ruled on six other tariffs and new orders, including three complaints from consumers.

The first two concerned complaints from Gail Dinwiddie against AT&T, which the PSC dismissed on a number of grounds. The first item concerned a yellow page advertisement that Dinwiddie said he had been charged for even though he tried to cancel it. The PSC dismissed the complaint, saying it was not under their jurisdiction. Staff also reported that they had spoken with Dinwiddie, who said it was his understanding that AT&T was the incorrect party to handle the issue. Furthermore, Dinwiddie said he was uncertain the original bill document could be located.

The second item concerned the same issue but was dismissed because the complainant’s wife told staff she considered the matter closed and no longer an issue.

The third complaint centered around a complaint by Johnny Lane against Ameren, but staff found no claims of violations, and as Lane had failed to appear at the prehearing conference, which is grounds for dismissal, the commission ruled to do so with a 5-0 vote.

One order on the docket proved to be identical to one passed during the last agenda meeting, as the commission voted to dismiss an application by EDF Energy Services, saying that their application as a seller of energy services was unnecessary as they were supplying gas upstream. The statute applies only to energy sellers who transfer the title to gas “downstream of an LDC’s city gate.”

The final order of the day concerned KCP&L’s stipulation and agreement for their MEEIA program’s transition plan for Cycle 2. It was approved 5-0.

The commission also had two case discussions before them, both concerning rules. The first one sought simply to rescind out of date rules and is now being sent to the Governor’s Office for review.

The second case discussion also only occurred in order to send the rule changes regarding manufactured housing to the Governor’s Office. Once both have been reviewed by the Governor’s Office, they will be sent back to the commission to vote on, before being sent to JCAR for publishing.

The next PSC agenda meeting will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 25.