BEFORE THE PUBLIC SERVICE
COMMISSION
OF THE STATE OF
In the Matter of The Empire District Electric )
Company of Joplin, Missouri Tariffs )
Increasing Rates for Electric Service ) File
No. ER-2012-0345
Provided to Customers in the Missouri Service )
Area of the Company )
ORDER SUSPENDING
PROCEDURAL SCHEDULE
Issue Date: February 15, 2013 Effective Date: February 15, 2013
On February 15, 2013, The Empire District
Electric Company and the Staff of the Commission filed a joint motion asking
the Commission to suspend the remaining procedural schedule. The motion explains that the parties have
reached an agreement in principle and are drafting a written stipulation and
agreement that will resolve all issues in this case. They anticipate filing the stipulation and
agreement no later than February 22, 2013.
Staff represents that the Office
of the Public Counsel, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the
Midwest Energy Users’ Association, the Midwest Energy Consumers Group, and
Southern Union Company d/b/a Missouri Gas Energy do not object to the requested
suspension of the procedural schedule.
The evidentiary hearing is set to begin on
February 19, 2013. Given the apparent agreement
of the parties, there is no need to maintain the procedural schedule. The
procedural schedule will be suspended indefinitely as requested. Of course, if the parties are not able to
finalize an agreement that is acceptable to the Commission, the hearing will
need to be rescheduled at a time that allows the Commission to approve or
reject Empire’s rate increase request before the June 3, 2013 operation of law
date.
THE
COMMISSION ORDERS THAT:
1.
The
procedural schedule for this case is suspended until further order of the
Commission.
2.
This
order shall become effective on February 15, 2013.
BY THE COMMISSION
Shelley Brueggemann
Acting Secretary
( S E A L )
Michael Bushmann, Regulatory Law Judge,
by delegation of authority pursuant to
Section 386.240, RSMo 2000.
Dated at
on this 15th day of February, 2013.