Capitol Calling
Missouri's irreverent and vital news source.
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This photo from the Columbia Missourian shows a portion of the nuclear reactor in Callaway County.
A legislative push is underway to restart the process that could bring about another nuclear reactor in Callaway County.
After efforts to reconfigure the state’s Construction Work In Progress [CWIP] law faltered in 2009, Gov. Jay Nixon threw his support behind a plan that would allow Ameren and other utility companies to collect ratepayer dollars for a site permit.
One vehicle is being sponsored by Sen. Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City. But in my article for the St. Louis Beacon, I write about how another bill from Sen. Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau, garnered warm warms from consumer groups:
Crowell was a major factor in opposing CWIP legislation in 2009. And he could play a big role in the latest battle.
One difference between Crowell and Kehoe’s bill is the funding stream for the office of public counsel. And Crowell (right) said keeping that agency well-funded could be beneficial for consumers.
“Net to net, it will result in greater oversight, greater transparency and lower rates in the long run,” said Crowell in an interview with the Beacon. “It’s sort of like keeping air in your tires. If you keep your tires properly pressured, they will last longer than if you let all the air out of them. So in the long run, you spend less on tires by taking the time by putting a quarter or 50 cents or 75 cents in the air machine and making sure your tires are properly inflated than never, ever checking them and running them on the rims.”
