Special interest group applauds PSC decision on Empire District Electric request

(From Renew Missouri)

Renew Missouri, a not-for-profit group focused on renewable energy and energy efficiency policy around the Show-Me State, applauds the Public Service Commission (“PSC”) for its approval of the non-unanimous settlement agreement allowing the Joplin-based Empire Electric to build a 600 MW wind farm to service much of their customers in Southwest Missouri. While not as ideal as what the company initially proposed, Renew Missouri sees this as a step in the right direction.

At Wednesday’s Public Service Commission Agenda meeting, Commissioners voted 5-0 to allow Empire Electric to employ various regulatory measures to add this news source of power. Renew Missouri, who has supported the company’s proposal from the start, praises the decision and Empire Electric’s commitment to its customers.

“This is not only a win for renewable energy,” says Executive Director James Owen, “this is a win for the local economy in Southwest Missouri. More and more, large companies are basing their decision on locating to areas where they have access to sustainable energy. We have seen businesses invest in neighboring states like Iowa – where the government and utilities have committed to wind power production - while leaving Missouri in the dust.” The decision today, Owen adds, hopefully begins to move Missouri into becoming more economically advantageous.

Owen notes the original plan submitted by Empire Electric called for the shuttering of a coal plant in Southwest Missouri. “While we remain in favor of moving away from dirty power to clean power, we also recognized there were some parties that insisted on keeping this open even though the wind farm would more than compensate for any job losses. This is still a plus for the state, and that’s what matters to us.”

There are also numerous benefits to ratepayers in general. States such as Colorado have shown wind production is so inexpensive that it’s cheaper for customers to have a plant close and to build a wind farm than to simply leave the plant open. “Wind is becoming more reliable and more reasonable,” Owen says. “It makes a lot of sense from the perspective of a household budget.”

While renewable energy is overwhelmingly popular with the general public and with the business community, the plan submitted by Empire Electric faced obstacles, specifically from the State of Missouri’s Office of Public Counsel and the City of Joplin. “These parties relied on a lot of bogus science and flimsy economic arguments to help keep Missouri’s economy in the dark ages. We are glad the PSC was able to see through that and make the right decision.”