Attorney General Jay Nixon is seeking to overturn the rate increase granted to AmerenUE. Nixon has filed an appeal in Cole County Circuit Court of the Public Service Commission decision to grant Ameren a $43 million electric rate increase. Nixon spokesman John Fougere says the Attorney General felt compelled to file his appeal with the Cole County Circuit Court after the PSC rejected his application of re-hear the case.
Ameren initially requested a rate increase totaling $361 million. Though the PSC drastically cut that amount, Nixon says the rate increase granted is unacceptable. In fact, Fougere says the Attorney General’s office conducted an audit of Ameren, which he says failed to discover any justification for a rate increase. He says the Attorney General believes the PSC should have ordered a rate cut.
Fougere insists that Nixon is not trying to circumvent the normal process of determining utility rates. The PSC is the state agency responsible for utility rate regulation.
