Bill > HB2046

This bill requires investor-owned electric utilities in Missouri to compensate customers for damages resulting from power interruptions or surges that affect more than 4/5 of 1% of their customers. Under the proposed law, if a power outage lasts four or more hours and results in voltage below 50% or total power loss, the utility must reimburse customers for actual damages like food spoilage and must also repay local governments for emergency expenses. Similarly, for power surges that damage customer goods, the utility must pay replacement value. The utility can seek a waiver from the public service commission if the interruption was caused by unpreventable weather, customer tampering, civil unrest, animals, or damage by third parties. Importantly, any compensation paid cannot be recovered from ratepayers, and damage awards cannot come from utility rate funds. The bill preserves customers' rights to pursue other civil or administrative remedies and allows the public service commission to create rules for implementing these provisions. The proposed section would become part of Missouri's Revised Statutes (RSMo) Chapter 386, which governs public utilities.

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB2046&year=2026&code=R