Tagged: electric rates

A Missouri Senate energy committee has advanced legislation that would let power companies seek permission for an infrastructure surcharge.

Under legislation approved by the committee with two dissenting votes Wednesday, power companies could seek to levy the surcharge between formal rate cases.

Triple-digit temperatures means Missouri utilities cannot shut off customers' electricity for unpaid bills.

Missouri regulators said Friday that state law ensures consumers cannot have their electricity turned off during extreme heat. The policy kicks in when forecasts call for temperatures above 95 or a heat index above 105 degrees.

Officials reported scattered complaints Thursday about some utilities seeking to disconnect customers' power. The Public Service Commission says it is not aware of anyone whose electricity was turned off.

Gov. Pat Quinn wants the "monkey business" of absentee voting by Illinois lawmakers investigated after the
Illinois House overrode his veto on legislation that will raise electric rates to pay to modernize the state's power grid.

Updated 4:38 with more information about the legislation.

Illinois lawmakers have approved major changes to the state's electricity system over Gov. Pat Quinn's veto.

Both the House and Senate voted to override the governor Wednesday.

They rejected Quinn's argument that the legislation guarantees unfair profits to power companies and seriously weakens the oversight power of state regulators.