JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Public Service Commission (PSC) has denied a request for a rehearing as Invenergy forges ahead with plans to take over the Grain Belt Express Clean Line Project.
Show Me Concerned Landowners and Joseph and Rose Kroner requested a rehearing, arguing the PSC did not have jurisdiction or statutory authority to approve Invenergy’s acquisition of Grain Belt since it is not an electric company.
They also argued “there is no statute in Missouri which authorizes the Commission to approve the sale of utility facilities which are not necessary or useful in the performance of a utility’s duties to the public.”
Commissioners unanimously approved an order rejecting the application for rehearing at the weekly agenda meeting Tuesday.
The Grain Belt project — which would establish an overhead transmission line spanning nearly 800 miles to deliver wind energy from Kansas to Missouri and other states — has sparked contention in Missouri this year. Particularly, the issue of eminent domain has been raised among those involved and state lawmakers.
Additionally Tuesday, commissioners approved Spire Missouri’s revised tarrif sheets regarding its Weather Normalization Adjustment Rider (WNAR). The approved notice said the tariff adjustments will go into effect on Oct. 1.
The PSC also acknowledged a report Tuesday from staff regarding an investigation into the Lifeline program for American Broadband and Telecommunications Company doing business as American Assistance.
The notice alleged American Assistance failed to produce necessary documentation. It also said staff intends to file a complaint with the Commission requesting a revocation of its ETC status.
Kaitlyn Schallhorn was the editor in chief of The Missouri Times from 2020-2022. She joined the newspaper in early 2019 after working as a reporter for Fox News in New York City.
Throughout her career, Kaitlyn has covered political campaigns across the U.S., including the 2016 presidential election, and humanitarian aid efforts in Africa and the Middle East.
She is a native of Missouri who studied journalism at Winthrop University in South Carolina. She is also an alumna of the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C.
Contact Kaitlyn at kaitlyn@themissouritimes.com.
