Commissioner Richard Glick Statement
October 28, 2019
Docket No. CP17-40-004
Concurrence Regarding Spire STL Pipeline LLC
I dissented from the Commission’s order issuing Spire STL Pipeline LLC (Spire STL) a certificate of public convenience and necessity because there was nothing in the record to indicate that the Spire Pipeline is needed. 1
If anything, the record was clear that there is no need for the Spire Pipeline. In addition, I was concerned that overbuilding the pipeline network in the St. Louis region would have adverse consequences for ratepayers on existing pipelines. 2
Nothing in the intervening 15 months has alleviated those concerns. Indeed, now three major pipelines serving the region have proposed significant rate increases that are all due, at least in part, to the Spire Pipeline. 3
At no point to date has the Commission adequately considered the effects on existing customers when evaluating whether the Spire Pipeline is in the public interest or required by the public convenience and necessity. Accordingly, although I concur in today’s order because I agree that Spire STL has adequately justified its proposed rate increase in this proceeding, I remain deeply concerned that the Commission’s public interest analysis misses the forest for the trees in a manner that will only hurt consumers throughout the region.
For these reasons, I respectfully concur.
- 11 Spire STL Pipeline LLC, 164 FERC ¶ 61,085 (2018) (Glick, Comm’r, dissenting at 1-4).
- 22 Id. (Glick, Comm’r, dissenting at 4-6).
- 33 In addition, to the Spire Pipeline, MoGas Pipeline LLC (MoGas) and Enable Mississippi River Transmission, LLC (MRT) have also filed to increase their rates. See MRT Transmittal Letter, Docket No. RP18-923-00, at 3-4 (June 29, 2018) (proposing a rate increase primarily due to the decision by Spire STL’s affiliate, Spire Missouri Inc., to shift its capacity reservations to the Spire Pipeline); MoGas Transmittal Letter, Docket No. RP18-877-000, at 2 (May 31, 2018) (explaining that a rate discount for Spire Missouri was one of the principal causes of its proposed rate increase); MoGas Answer, Docket No. RP18-877-000, at 4-5 (June 18, 2018) (explaining that MoGas was forced to offer Spire Missouri the discounted rate because of the Spire Pipeline).