Organizing Voices to Combat Unfair Electricity Rate Hikes

The Challenge:
Since 1976, Missouri law has protected Missouri citizens from unfair rate hikes by prohibiting utilities from charging consumers for the cost of building new power plants until those plants are on-line and in use. In 2009, the state’s biggest utility launches a massive lobbying effort to overturn this law in the legislature so they can begin to pro-actively raise utility rates to cover the future cost of building a $6 billion nuclear power plant in Callaway County. Fearful of losing a check on the state’s biggest utility, consumer advocates turn to Hilltop for help.

The Hilltop Solution:
To fight the potential rate increase on behalf of Missourians and business leaders, Hilltop’s team in the state brings stakeholders together on the issue, including small businesses, various consumer groups and trade associations. These stakeholders form a Hilltop-managed coalition, the Fair Electricity Rates Action Fund, that uses paid and earned media, as well as grasstops and grassroots tactics, to urge leaders in Jefferson City to stop the big utility’s plan. The communications are designed to demonstrate to lawmakers that constituents from all walks of life are lined up against the plan. The ads, grassroots communications and web component make the case that lawmakers have to choose: big business or the people of Missouri.

The Result:
Legislators respond to the pro-consumer messaging of the campaign. Despite millions of dollar spent by the utility in television advertising, political will for the legislation disappears in Jefferson City.