Missouri Judge to rule against Ameren in power line case –

JEFFERSON CITY, MO. (ECWd) –

One step at a time…

This article comes from the Kansas City Star (here):

A judge said Monday that he will rule against a subsidiary of Ameren Corp. in a legal fight over whether it needs state regulators’ permission to build a high-voltage power line across northern Missouri.

Cole County Circuit Judge Dan Green said he’s inclined to reject Ameren’s request for a declaration that the Missouri Public Service Commission has no authority over the power line. Green said he hopes to formally issue the ruling later this week.

Ameren Transmission Co. of Illinois wants to build a roughly 100-mile power line across northeast Missouri as part of a 480-mile transmission route from Ottumwa, Iowa, to western Indiana. Some landowners oppose the power line and received Green’s approval earlier Monday to join the legal fight.

St. Louis-based Ameren Corp. is the parent of the Illinois-based transmission company and Ameren Missouri, which supplies electricity to 1.2 million customers in its home state. The Missouri Public Service Commission regulates Ameren Missouri.

But Ameren’s transmission subsidiary contends it doesn’t need the commission’s approval to build the power line — or to use eminent domain to acquire property for it — because it doesn’t manufacture, distribute or sell power in Missouri.