Question: What’s one of the more powerful commissions in Missouri state government? A commission that affects Missourians’ electricity, natural gas, and many water and sewer utilities.
Answer: The Missouri Public Service Commission, also known as the PSC.
The Commission was established in 1913. The five commissioners on the PSC are appointed by the Missouri Governor with the advice and consent of the Missouri Senate. Current commissioners are Kayla Hahn, chair; Maida Coleman, Glen Kolkmeyer, and John Mitchell. One commission position is open.
The PSC regulates investor-owned electric, natural gas, steam, water and sewer utilities in the state. It also has limited jurisdiction over telecommunications providers in Missouri. Also, the Commission regulates the operational safety of the state’s rural electric cooperatives and municipally owned natural gas utilities. The PSC also regulates manufacturers and dealers of manufactured homes and modular units and enforces initial home or unit installation. The PSC is a regulator, for certain.
The PSC’s Mission Statement says, “We will: ensure that Missourians receive safe and reliable utility services at just, reasonable and affordable rates; support economic development through either traditional rate of return regulation or competition, as required by law; establish standards so that competition will maintain or improve the quality of services provided to Missourians; provide the public the information they need to make educated utility choices; and provide an efficient regulatory process that is responsive to all parties, and perform our duties ethically and professionally.”
Utility services and infrastructure are essential to the economy of Missouri. Virtually every Missouri citizen receives some form of utility service (electric, natural gas, telecommunications, steam, water or sewer) from a company regulated by the Missouri Public Service Commission (Commission or PSC).
The PSC is the state government agency charged with ensuring that Missourians receive safe, adequate, and reliable utility services at reasonable rates. The Commission must balance the interests of the public — ratepayers — as well as company shareholders. In proceedings before the Commission, rates are set to give the utility company an opportunity, but not a guarantee, to earn a reasonable return on its investment after recovering its prudently incurred expenses.
Missouri’s Regulated Utilities
Electric: The PSC regulates four investor-owned electric companies (Ameren Missouri, Evergy Missouri Metro, Evergy Missouri West, and The Empire District Electric Company d/b/a Liberty). These companies serve more than 2 million customers. The PSC does not regulate the rates of rural electric cooperatives or municipal electric systems. The PSC does regulate rural electric cooperatives when it comes to safety issues.
Natural Gas: Five investor-owned natural gas companies are regulated by the PSC (Ameren Missouri, The Empire District Gas Company, Liberty Utilities, Spire Missouri, Inc., and Summit Natural Gas of Missouri). These companies serve nearly 1.4 million customers. While the PSC does not regulate the rates of municipal gas systems, the PSC does have jurisdiction in terms of safety. The PSC does not regulate propane.
Water and Sewer: There are about 28 regulated water and/or sewer companies in Missouri. The largest company is Missouri-American Water Company, serving more than 474,000 water customers and nearly 16,500 sewer customers. Water quality issues are regulated by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. The PSC does not regulate the rates of municipal water and/or sewer systems, public water supply districts, or public sewer districts.
Telephone: The PSC has limited jurisdiction over 729 telecommunications providers (local telephone service providers, long distance companies, Interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol — IVolP, video service providers, pay phone providers, and shared tenant service providers) in Missouri. The PSC does not regulate wireless telephone providers, internet providers, or cable television.
Manufactured Housing: The PSC regulates dealers and manufacturers of manufactured homes and modular units, as well as the licensing of installers of new manufactured federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) homes.
Steam: Two steam companies are under PSC jurisdiction —Evergy Missouri West and Vicinity Energy Kansas City, Inc. — formerly Veolia Energy Kansas City, Inc. These companies serve approximately 53 customers, primarily commercial and industrial.
Open Records Policy
The PSC established an Open Records Policy for “sunshine requests,” which says it is the policy of the Commission to comply with the Missouri Sunshine Law in Chapter 610, RSMo., and the PSC recognizes that the public policy of Missouri provides that all meetings, records, votes, actions, and deliberations of public governmental bodies shall be open to the public and that the Sunshine Law shall be liberally construed to promote this public policy. The Secretary of the PSC is the custodian of records, and the policy is to respond to requests for access to public records. It is noted that some information furnished to the PSC by a corporation, person, or public utility may be closed to the public, except such matters as are specifically required to be open to public inspection by provisions of law.