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This Week in the Missouri PSC: June 6, 2018

PSC signs off on Liberty Utilities rate increase, opens tax cut cases

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Public Service Commission has approved an agreement in the rate case for Liberty Utilities.

The commission on Wednesday signed off on an agreement to grant an approximate $4.6 million rate increase, effective July 1.

The agreement reflects the reduction from the federal tax cuts, an under the agreement, Liberty will be consolidating its Northeast (NEMO) and West (WEMO) Districts, as well as an inclining block rate pilot program for residential customers in those areas, increasing $5 a month. In the SEMO District, the increase will be about $4 a month.

Liberty Utilities will also implement a low-income affordability program; continue energy efficiency and low-income weatherization programs; and implement a Weather Normalization Adjustment rider (WNAR) which authorizes rate adjustments based on weather variations.

The PSC also approved an order and stipulation in the case Paul and Debra Brown v. Summit Natural Gas, which concerned the matter of Summit providing gas service to the Browns’ residence, without having a CCN to do so.

The PSC on Wednesday also opened two new cases. The first concerns Ameren Missouri and the passage of SB 564, a utility bill passed and signed into law this month. The other new case opened deals with the same new law, but as it applies to Empire District Electric Company. Under the law, the commission has been granted one-time authority to order an adjustment of electrical rates due to the federal tax cuts, with a 90-day deadline. The commission is accepting applications to intervene and participate in those cases until June 13.