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PSC Rate Case Decision

Posted on Jun 14, 2010 in News

Did you hear the news?

“The Missouri Public Service Commission today voted to grant an electric rate increase of approximately $226.3 million to AmerenUE – significantly less than it originally requested.”

That’s right.  That was the news report recently when the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC) decided to cut in half Ameren’s proposed rate increase on your monthly electric bill. A 10% increase on monthly bills will still hurt some families, but your work paid off and the PSC heard you.

Instead of giving Ameren the full 18% rate increase they’d requested, the PSC cut the request nearly in half. Why?  Because you showed up at public hearings, you emailed the PSC, and you wrote letters to the editor.  Thank you for being part of FERAF and for making a difference.  Read some highlights, below, from the news reports.  Use the FERAF online calculator on our website or our Facebook page to calculate what this victory saved you.

“The Fair Electricity Rate Action Fund, a coalition of consumer groups and large Missouri businesses, lobbied hard against the rate increase. Spokesman Daniel Pfeifer said the PSC’s decision at first blush looks like a victory for consumers.”

“AmerenUE’s rate proposal met with a backlash from customers. Hundreds of people attended a series of public hearings across the utility’s service area last winter and wrote letters and e-mails to the PSC. The response was at least partly the product of a public relations campaign funded and organized by the Fair Electricity Rate Action Fund.”

“While considering the requested rate increase, Missouri regulators were bombarded by customers who attended local public hearings and pointedly questioned AmerenUE’s leaders and regulators. Many warned of dire consequences that could result if their electric bills increased. Some of the opposition was stirred by the Fair Electricity Rate Action Fund, which used radio ads and automated phone calls to whip up attendance. Danny Pfeifer, a spokesman for the action fund — which is a coalition of business and senior groups — said Friday that regulators’ decision was a ‘victory for consumers.’  ‘The PSC heard and responded to the voices of tens of thousands of voices of Missouri consumers and their message of not being able to afford Ameren’s request,’ Pfeifer said.” Read more online in the FERAF newsroom.

But the fight’s not over. In fact, Ameren CEO Warner Baxter said in testimony to the PSC recently, “it is my expectation that we would file [a request for an additional rate increase] before the end of 2010.” [Transcript from ER-2010-0036, 3/15/2010, Vol. 22, pg 916]  That’s right, just months after raising your rates by 10%, Ameren is coming back for more.

We must prepare now to protect against the next attempted rate hike by Ameren, or else this victory will have been in vain.  Take action now and post this to your Facebook page or Twitter account to grow the voice against the next proposed rate increase on Missourians monthly electric bill.