(ER-2024-0319)
In July 2024, Ameren Missouri (“Ameren”) asked the Missouri Public Service Commission for an annual revenue increase of $446.2 million, + 15.5% above currently authorized revenues. Ameren also proposed increasing the residential fixed monthly charge from the current level of $9.00 to $10.43, an approximate 15.9% increase.
Consumers Council of Missouri (“CCM”) successfully intervened in this case and filed the expert testimony of:
• Jackie Hutchinson (Topics: Energy Bill Affordability; Keeping Current Program; Fixed Customer Charge; Reconnect/Late Fees; Medical Registry; Community Solar Pilot; Storm Outage Policy); and
• Caroline Palmer, Synapse Energy (Topics: EIR; allocation of costs between residential and large industrial customers; and the residential fixed customer charge).
On April 23, 2025, The MOPSC approved a Unanimous Stipulation and Settlement on all issues. Ameren was limited to an overall electric rate increase of approximately 11%, starting next month, with typical residential customers facing about a 12% increase.
We achieved the following concessions in favor of consumers, including:
- Customer Charge: NO INCREASE in the fixed residential customer charge of $9.00, putting all of the increase onto usage-based charges (based on CCM testimony).
- No Forced Arbitration: Ameren Missouri will stop requiring customers who use its website and mobile app to agree to forced arbitration and waiver of class actions (CCM has been advocating on this issue for over a year).
- Federal Program Reporting: Ameren will file monthly reports on the status of their applications for federal programs, i.e., EIR and Solar for All (based on CCM testimony).
- Low-Income Community Solar: Ameren will hold another meeting on low-income community solar (CCM has been advocating on this issue for over a year).
- Storm Restoration: Ameren will reserve its trucks for storm restoration in Missouri and will ensure it has sufficient restoration resources to fix downed lines in our area before sending those trucks to other states (based on CCM testimony).
- Low- and Moderate- Income Bill Assistance: Approval of funding for current programs that help people with low- and moderate income, including more funds annually for Keeping Current, a continuation of the Critical Medical Needs program, and the Rehousing program (based on CCM testimony). Significantly, this funding will be shared 50/50 between other ratepayers and the utility’s shareholders.
- Battery Storage: Ameren will hold a stakeholder meeting regarding a possible residential battery storage pilot.
- Customer Service: In all future emails to customers in which a change in service or rates is communicated, Ameren Missouri agreed to direct the customer to call the customer service number.
- Advertising Expenses: Improved transparency and monitoring of advertising expenses, and for certain property records.
- EPA Pollution Case: Ameren will not seek recovery from ratepayers for any costs arising from the mitigation relief ordered last year in the federal EPA pollution case regarding the Rush Island power plant (United States of America v. Ameren Missouri, Case No. 4:11-CV-00077-RWS).
Unfortunately, the resolution of this rate case does not factor in the many new ways that electric rates could rise on the future, as a result of the recent passage of Senate Bill 4 (MO-2025). Part of the reason the settlement includes most of the increase requested reflects the impact the Plant-In-Service-Accounting (PISA) mechanism, passed by the Missouri state legislature in 2018.
