JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tuesday proved to be a packed day for the Missouri Public Service Commission, with eight tariffs and new orders stack on the docket for their weekly agenda meeting, thanks to new laws taking effect.
The first item of the day dealt with Ameren Missouri’s request to implement regulatory changes in regard to their MEEIA program, setting a procedural schedule as follows:
- September 10, 2018 – Settlement Conference
- October 5, 2018 – Simultaneous Rebuttal Testimony
- October 25, 2018 – Simultaneous Surrebuttal Testimony
- November 5-7, 2018 – Evidentiary Hearing
- November 21, 2018 – Initial Post-Hearing Briefs
- December 6, 2018 – Reply Brief
The commission signed off on the first bill regarding new laws, an order approving the opening of a new case regarding the passage of Senate Bill 705 last session, which “requires water corporations that serve more than 1,000 customers to develop a qualification process, and make that process open to all contractors seeking to provide construction and construction-related services on the water corporation’s distribution system,” with unanimous consent.
Also dealing with another Senate Bill, the PSC signed off on an order opening a case regarding Ameren Missouri’s compliance with the new requirements set forth by SB 564.
Section 393.1650 requires an electrical corporation that serves more than one million customers to develop a qualification process, and make that process open to all contractors seeking to provide construction and construction-related services on the electrical corporation’s distribution system, which would apply to companies such as Ameren.
Ameren Missouri will track work orders before and after August 28, 2018 to assess the impact of section 393.1650, RSMo, and shall provide that information to the Commission’s Staff, and shall file the statement required no later than September 27, 2018.
The commission also signed off on three orders dealing with SB 564, allows the companies to file notice of their election to defer certain depreciation expenses and return associated with certain plant-in-service to a regulatory asset for future recovery. Staff’s motions asked that if those companies (Empire, KCPL Greater Missouri Operations, and KCPL) choose to file such notice, it be directed to do so in these cases. Further, if the companies choose to make that election, they must file a five-year capital investment plan as required by subsection 393.1400.4.
In other news, the commission approved the second amended stipulation and agreement for Ameren’s request for a CCN to offer a pilot subscriber solar program. The PSC approved the CCN to build the solar facility in the City of St. Louis, at the St. Louis Lambert International Airport, rejecting the current tariff, and directed that a new compliance tariff be filed.
The project will be a single megawatt (1 MW) facility to be constructed after Ameren Missouri has received customer subscriptions totaling 1 MW.
Ameren Missouri will require a Solar Participation fee for all customers enrolling in the pilot until it has received enough subscriptions to construct the full 1 MW facility. Under the agreement, Ameren Missouri’s capital investment for the facility is capped at $3 million.
The PSC also threw out a case against Ameren Missouri regarding outages and the company’s responses, saying the complainant failed to show the burden of proof that Ameren had violated a law, rule, or order.
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.
