The head of the state’s largest electric utility says he can support a plan to give credits to customers who go through extensive storm-related power outages. But Ameren CEO Gary Rainwater says the company should not be punished for outages caused by weather, which the company cannot control.

Rainwater says it’s appropriate for the company to compensate customers if the utility is to blame for outages, but he says last year’s outages were entirely because of bad weather, not because the company’s maintenance or tree-trimming efforts were faulty.