JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Public Service Commission (PSC) granted a certificate of convenience and necessity (CCN) to Empire District Electric Company related to wind generation facilities in several counties in southwest Missouri.
Empire District plans to construct about 140 turbines in two wind farms in Barton, Dade, Jasper, and Lawrence Counties, generating approximately 300 megawatts. Additionally, it plans to construct another wind farm with about 139 turbines in Neosho County, Kansas.
The PSC unanimously approved the CCN, saying the project could result in a $169 million savings for customers over a 20 year period.
Additionally, the commission approved a revised solar rebate tariff from Empire District, saving customers about 50 cents per watt on systems operational by the end of June.
During its weekly meeting Wednesday, the PSC also approved a disposition agreement and small company rate increase order from S.K.&M Water and Sewer Company for increases in annual sewer and water systems operating revenue. The commission noted it had done an audit of the company and found broken water lines, inoperable meters, and collapsed sewer lines last year. In November, it approved interim emergency rates.
The approved disposition grants a water revenue increase of more than $13,000, making the total increase in water revenues after last year’s emergency rate increase more than $119,000. As for the sewer revenues, the disposition increased to more than $15,500, bringing the total increase in annual sewer revenues to more than $81,000.
About 302 water and 156 sewer customers are serviced by S.K.&M.
The assessment order for the Fiscal Year 2020 was also approved by the commission Wednesday.
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.
