The Missouri Public Service Commission has approved a second modified agreement between Union Electric Company d/b/a Ameren Missouri and the Office of the Public Counsel (OPC) which authorizes Ameren Missouri to re-direct approximately $3.5 million to further help low-income customers needing assistance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the second modified agreement, the $3.5 million, which was originally scheduled to be used for a low-income weatherization program, will now be re-directed as follows: Approximately $1.3 million to fund a low-income energy efficiency program; approximately $1.2 million to fund additional low-income energy assistance in 2021, including but not limited to Ameren Missouri’s Clean Slate Program; and approximately $1 million to fund administrative costs for the agencies charged with administering the distribution of energy assistance funding to low-income customers.
“After reviewing the unopposed modification, the Commission finds the modification is reasonable and should be approved,” said the Commission. “The Commission also finds that because this modification will aid Ameren Missouri’s customers during the COVID-19 pandemic, this order should become effective in less than 30 days.”
Background: In March 2020, the Commission approved an agreement among parties in an Ameren Missouri rate case, which reduced Ameren Missouri’s annual electric revenue by approximately $32 million, effective April 1, 2020.
In that case, the Commission also approved a separate agreement between Ameren Missouri and OPC in which the electric company would donate approximately $7 million to the 14 consumer action agencies in the state that administer low-income weatherization assistance programs in the Ameren Missouri service territory, to be spent on low-income weatherization or for assistance to low-income customers for such customers’ participation in Ameren Missouri’s energy efficiency programs.
In a May 2020 filing with the Commission, OPC and Ameren Missouri sought Commission approval to modify the agreement. In that filing they stated, “The impacts of COVID-19 on Ameren Missouri’s low-income customers is particularly acute in terms of those customers’ ability to pay their utility bills.” The filing also noted that while low-income customers would ultimately benefit from the implementation of weatherization measures at their residences, weatherization activity in the state had all but stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the first modified agreement approved by the Commission on May 21, 2020, $3.5 million of the approximate $7 million was used to provide low-income energy assistance to Ameren Missouri’s electric customers needing assistance with paying their electric bills. The other $3.5 million was to be used for low-income weatherization/energy efficiency as originally agreed to between Ameren Missouri and OPC.
OPC is a separate state agency which represents the general public in matters before the Public Service Commission.
Ameren Missouri serves approximately 1.28 million electric customers in Missouri.