Phone calls from a group protesting a rate case before the Public Service Commission are confusing electric cooperative members into thinking they are affected by the issue, according to Intercounty Electric Cooperative. The rate case was brought before the commission by St. Louis-based utility Ameren UE and only applies to its consumers.
“If an electric cooperative member gets a call from this group, they can ignore it,” says Barry Hart, CEO of the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives. Hart says he has received calls from several electric cooperative service areas saying co-op members had received “robo-calls” urging them to oppose Ameren’s rate case. These calls are generated by computers and are intended for customers of Ameren UE.
However, the group apparently has no way to separate consumers of Ameren from co-op and municipal consumers. Electric cooperative rates are set by a board of directors elected by the members, not by the Public Service Commission.