By Marshall Griffin, KWMU
Jefferson City, MO – A State Senate committee has passed a bill that would allow exemptions to Missouri's Construction Work in Progress law, also known as CWIP.
The legislation would give the Public Service Commission authority to allow exemptions to the CWIP law, which bars utilities from billing customers for the cost of new power plants while under construction.
AmerenUE supports the bill. Officials with the St. Louis-based utility say they can't afford to build a second nuclear reactor at their Calloway County plant unless the bill becomes law.
State Senator Joan Bray (D, St. Louis) voted against the bill.
"It is a different, convoluted, restrictive process that changes (the law) just for these circumstances," Bray said.
The sponsor, State Senator Kurt Schaefer (R, Columbia), says that Missouri needs to discuss long-term energy policy, and that his bill can begin that discussion.
"This is the starting point...this is one part of it, and we've got to get it to the Senate so we can have debate on the floor (on) where we are going in this state, and not simply have a reactive year-by-year 'build another gas-fired power plant' and have pass-through gas costs, which is (going to) kill consumers," Schaefer said.
Opponents also claim that the bill would raise electric rates by up to 40 percent, and that it would overturn the will of the voters who approved the current law in 1976.
The bill now goes to the full Missouri Senate for debate.