Missouri utility regulators find no wrongdoing by Spire in whistleblower case
Natural gas giant Spire did not instruct a former employee on how to conceal and destroy documents, Missouri utility regulators concluded in a report released Tuesday, Jan. 21.
A September 2024 email to regulators from a former Spire employee alleged that the company had discussed with employees how to hide sensitive documents from the Missouri Public Service Commission, which regulates privately owned utility companies in the state, in order to protect Spire’s financial interests during its upcoming rate increase case.
The commission launched an investigation into the allegations in October 2024.
“Staff has determined that there were no discussions by Spire Missouri on concealment of matters from Staff or the Commission or on destruction of documents that would be otherwise discoverable by Staff,” the commission’s staff wrote in Tuesday’s report.
“Based on Staff’s investigation, there were no issues of illegalities found and this matter may be closed.”
Spire cleared of wrongdoing
Spire spokesperson Jason Merrill said the company was unsurprised by the findings.
“From the beginning, Spire remained confident that Staff would reach this conclusion,” he wrote in an email. “Spire takes pride in being transparent and honest with its regulators and we appreciate the Commission staff’s prompt investigation into this matter.”
While the commission’s report doesn’t provide many details about the investigation, it mentions that staff members reviewed audio recordings provided by the former employee and by Spire as well as interviewing both parties.
“The former employee of Spire Missouri had no further comments or evidence of the alleged concealment or destruction of documents” beyond the recordings, the report concluded.
The former employee, whose name and contact information were made public following their initial email to the commission, did not respond to a request for comment. The Star is not publishing their name to protect their privacy.
Spire rate increase case continues
While the investigation into the whistleblower allegations is closed, Spire’s rate case requesting an increase in residential natural gas rates is ongoing.
“With changing weather patterns, conservation trends, and energy efficiency investments, the Company is hard-pressed to fully recover its revenue requirement,” Spire wrote in its notice of intent to file in September 2024.
Spire has proposed increases to both the customer charge, which is the same for all residential customers, and the gas delivery rate.
Under the company’s current proposal, the customer charge would rise from $20 per month to $24, a 20% increase.
Winter gas delivery would rise from $0.37404 per CCF — a measurement representing 100 cubic feet — to $0.59594 per CCF, an increase of 59.3%.
Summer gas delivery would rise from $0.33660 per CCF for the first 50 CCF and $0.41527 per CCF for gas used beyond that to a flat rate of $0.55163 per CCF: increases of 63.9% and 32.8%, respectively.
Commission staff issued its recommendations Tuesday for public hearings on the case — including one in Kansas City at the Gregg/Klice Community Center on June 4, although the exact dates and times of the public hearings could still change.
Customers can stay up to date with developments and submit public comments on the case by entering the docket number GR-2025-0107 in the e-filing system lookup tool on the commission’s website, psc.mo.gov.
Do you have more questions about utilities in the Kansas City area and beyond? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
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