Missouri PSC Sets Virtual Public Hearing for Liberty CCN Request

From the El Dorado Springs Newsroom

The Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC) will hold a virtual public hearing at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 16, 2026, to receive comments regarding a proposed power generation project by The Empire District Electric Company, doing business as Liberty.

The application, filed in October 2025, seeks a Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN) to construct a new natural gas-fueled combustion turbine generating unit at Liberty’s existing State Line Power Station in Joplin. The proposed unit would have a capacity of approximately 250 megawatts.

According to the filing, the project is intended to support system reliability and meet regional capacity requirements, particularly during periods of high demand such as winter storms. The proposal also aims to meet Southwest Power Pool (SPP) resource adequacy requirements while allowing Liberty to utilize existing infrastructure in a cost-effective manner.

The virtual public hearing will begin with an informal question-and-answer session involving PSC staff, Liberty representatives and the Office of the Public Counsel, followed by a formal, on-the-record hearing where individuals may provide testimony to a regulatory law judge and PSC commissioners.

Members of the public may attend the hearing by telephone or online. To participate by phone, individuals may call 1-650-479-3207 and enter meeting number 2630 302 2856, followed by the pound (#) symbol. If prompted, the password is 0299.

Those wishing to attend by video or internet may visit www.webex.com or use the Cisco Webex Meetings application. Participants should enter meeting number 2630 302 2856 and password 0299 at the time of the hearing.

Individuals needing accommodations to participate may contact the PSC’s hotline at 1-800-392-4211 or Relay Missouri at 711 prior to the hearing.

The PSC encourages members of the public who wish to participate to register in advance by providing their name via email to pscinfo@psc.mo.gov or by calling 800-392-4211 no later than 5 p.m. April 15, 2026.

Written comments may also be submitted by mail to the Missouri Public Service Commission, P.O. Box 360, Jefferson City, MO 65102, or electronically at https://psc.mo.gov/General/Submit_Comments. Comments should reference Case No. EA-2025-0299.

The CCN process requires the PSC to evaluate whether the proposed project is necessary and serves the public interest.

If approved, construction of the generating unit is expected to begin in late 2028, with the facility anticipated to be in service by 2030.