Gov. Nixon vetoes Mo. gas utility legislation

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed legislation that would have expanded an infrastructure surcharge for gas companies.

Gas utilities have been allowed to seek approval from the Public Service Commission to levy a surcharge for infrastructure replacements. The charge is levied between formal rate cases, and the gas companies must file for a more involved rate case every three years.

The legislation would have required full rate cases every five years and would have increased the cap on how much gas companies could collect through the surcharge.

Nixon said the legislation also would have allowed companies to recover from customers much of the uncollectable debt from customers who do not pay.