JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri’s Public Service Commission (PSC) approved a change to Missouri-American Water Company’s infrastructure system replacement surcharge (ISRS) for St. Louis County customers.
Residential customers will begin paying an ISRS of 2 cents per 1,000 gallons of water used beginning next month, with the new funds used to supplement infrastructure replacements from January-July of this year. The increase is set to bring in an additional $7.5 million to offset the costs.
After several revisions based on Staff recommendations, the commission approved the tariff sheets during Wednesday’s agenda meeting.
Commissioners also approved an increase to Ameren Missouri’s fuel and purchased power adjustment charge (FAC), increasing the charge by about $1.06 per month to $4.14 for residential customers using 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month. The increase will allow Ameren to offset up to 95 percent of the change in purchased power cost, transportation, and off-system sales revenues from February-May.
Evergy Missouri’s Pay as You Save pilot program was approved after several revisions and suspensions. The program will allow customers to choose cost-effective energy upgrades without paying for them upfront. Evergy will pay for the installation and then charge a fee less than the estimated savings for the customer to pay it back. Evergy will be required to submit reports every six months of the pilot detailing project costs.
Evergy’s request for a rate adjustment and fuel purchase mechanism adjustment was suspended after Staff asked for them to be rejected. The PSC scheduled an initial hearing between the parties for later this month and ordered them to file a procedural schedule to consider the disagreements.
Spire Missouri filed to consolidate its rate structures for its eastern and western service areas as part of a general rate increase. Several parties, including the Office of Public Counsel, Renew Missouri, and the Midwest Energy Consumers Group, were allowed to intervene in the case. Stipulations and agreements with several parties were approved Wednesday, with separate concerns raised by other stakeholders set to be addressed later.
The commission approved Staff’s audit of the Empire District Electric Company’s FAC from September 2019 through February 2021. The review omitted costs associated with February’s winter storms, an expense Empire is seeking to defer in a separate case.
The next PSC agenda meeting is scheduled for Sept. 23.
Cameron Gerber studied journalism at Lincoln University. Prior to Lincoln, he earned an associate’s degree from State Fair Community College. Cameron is a native of Eldon, Missouri.
Contact Cameron at cameron@themissouritimes.com.
