Following a lengthy filibuster and negotiation process, Missouri senators reached agreement to advance S.B. 564 to the House. This wide-ranging bill would, among other things:

• Allow electric utilities to apply for periodic rate adjustments outside of general rate cases, due to certain changes in customer usage as a result of weather and conservation impacts.
• Allow utilities to begin construction on generators up to 1 MW without first having PSC approval.
• Beginning in 2019, require certain utilities to file a five-year capital investment plan. For each of the first five years, at least 25% of expenditures must support grid-modernization projects, including DERs, DG, renewables and energy storage. Utilities must solicit stakeholder input on such plans.
• Allow the PSC to approve investments in small-scale or pilot projects which advance a utility’s knowledge of deploying certain technologies, including renewables, microgrids and energy storage.
• Require utilities to invest in utility-owned solar facilities.
• Require utilities to offer rebates (beginning at $0.50/W and dropping to $0.25/W) for residential PV systems up to 25 kW, and non-residential PV systems up to 150 kW.