Your Opinion: Criticism of Ameren unfair

Dear Editor:

It's simply irresponsible to allow readers to make up facts of their own. Claims recently that Ameren Missouri makes enough money to fund infrastructure improvements because the letter writer thinks the company made more money than they should is flat out wrong.

First, the Public Service Commission reviews earnings by electric companies and has a process for ensuring anything over-earned gets back to the consumers. It works and happened twice in the last six months. Second, Ameren has spent $600 million per year for the last 10 years making infrastructure improvements. But with a massive influx of repairs coming due in the near future, at least $1 billion will be required in order to keep our lights on. Ameren isn't asking for handouts from the government to help with this. They're asking for the ability to go through a PSC process to reasonably recover some of this massive investment. Since when are we as Americans looking to be unreasonable about ensuring companies have a fair crack at doing well and providing a good product?

This is unlike Noranda Aluminum that recently cried poor to the PSC after having taken $1.3 million from the state just last year, promising to create jobs only to turn around and lay 75 Missourians off in December and now say they're unable to pay their bills now. Despite paying the lowest electric rate by almost 60 percent in the state they want a lower rate. There isn't any way they didn't know when they took taxpayer money that they were in bad shape. And now, because they claim Ameren is doing well, they want a disproportionate cut in return.

That's not how capitalism works. If they can't balance their books they can't do it on the backs of Missouri consumers, who will pay more if they get yet another rate decrease, and get more of a reduction than those who already pay more. Ameren is doing this right. They're working with partners to find solutions for energy infrastructure and within the PSC regulations to ensure any additional earnings are returned - proportionately - back to consumers. Maybe Noranda should just start using Ameren's bookkeeper.