JOPLIN — Empire District Electric Co. said Thursday it is requesting a 19.6 percent rate increase.
The utility said the new rate would mean a monthly increase of $19.21 for a residential customer, assuming the use of 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity.
Empire District filed the request Thursday with the Missouri Public Service Commission.
Bill Gipson, Empire president and CEO, said the increase is needed to recoup the part of the company's investment to construct two coal-fired generating units near Kansas City and Osceola, Ark., that it owns with other companies.
Gipson said the increase would also help the company recoup its share of the cost of environmental upgrades to a coal-fired unit near Kansas City that it also jointly owns.