The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry supports legislation that would encourage the use of in-state companies for the construction of new electric transmission lines in Missouri.
House Bill 992, sponsored by Rep. Ed Lewis (R-Moberly), recently had a hearing before the House Utilities Committee.
Commonly known as the Missouri First Transmission Act, this legislation gives existing owners of in-state electric transmission assets the right-of-first refusal on all transmission projects that connect to their systems and are approved by the Midwestern Independent System Operator (MISO) or other regional transmission organizations.
Regional transmission organizations, such as MISO, have the power to decide when and where most of the electric transmission projects are built in the Midwest. Despite this power, federal law includes a mechanism allowing states to assert more control over these decisions and these projects. While many of Missouri’s neighboring states have laws in place to exercise this type of authority, the legislation would need to be passed by lawmakers to grant Missouri, not out-of-state entities, this same decision-making ability.
Among those supporting HB 992 is Ameren Missouri. The company believes this will help ensure investor-owned electric utilities and other current transmission asset owners in Missouri have the opportunity to develop these types of transmission projects.
“Ameren Missouri supports the Missouri First Transmission Act because this legislation is crucial to ensuring Missouri electric utilities are the architects and builders of our state’s transmission projects moving forward,” said Warren Wood, vice president of regulatory and legislative affairs for Ameren Missouri. “As a company, we care about the property rights of our neighbors and work to keep project costs low, while continuing to invest in the communities we’ve served for more than 100 years.”
Missouri Chamber Vice President of Governmental Affairs Kara Corches offered written testimony in support of HB 992 citing the potential this bill has to spur job creation in Missouri businesses, such as utilities, engineering firms, construction firms and manufacturers.
A companion bill in the Senate (SB 568) is sponsored by Sen. Rusty Black (R-Chillicothe).
For more information, contact Corches at kcorches@mochamber.com or 573-634-3511.
