An overflow crowd in Sunset Hills on Monday gave Ameren Missouri, Public Service Commission (PSC) members and other state officials a piece of their mind about a proposed rate increase for residential electricity.

Electric bills would hike another 10 percent under the plan. Since 2006, Ameren Missouri has asked for and received increases totaling 43 percent. If the current hike is granted, the increase would exceed more than 50 percent since 2006. Utility officials stressed that their residential electric rates would still be among the lowest in the country.

In his introductory comments at the Sunset Hills Holiday Inn meeting site, Warren Wood of Ameren Missouri outlined four areas of utility investment that explain the need for a rate hike:

• $38 million for upgrading substation and electrical transmission.

• $158 million for carbon-free energy as represented in a new reactor vessel head for the nuclear plant at Callaway.

• $142 million for solar installations, including a new solar energy center in O'Fallon.

• $185 million in new equipment at the Labadie Energy Center to comply with stricter environmental laws.

"We are pleased to be able to explain why we are making this request," said Wood, a vice president for external relations for Ameren Missouri.

"We understand there may be some rate fatigue out there. That's one of the reasons we welcome the chance to talk about this request," Wood told the Times.

After his formal presentation, Wood and other officials were peppered with questions and comments about that "rate fatigue." Many of those comments were aimed at utility executive pay and the constant hikes.

"Many of us on fixed incomes are seeing less than a 2 percent hike in our cost-of-living allowances," said one resident. "You want a 10 percent hike. It's pretty tough for us to see executive compensation in the millions and rates going up for us."

A PSC representative responded to all the comments about CEO and executive pay at Ameren Missouri, noting that salaries and bonuses are accrued from stockholder profits and not from utility rates.

"It all comes from the same pot as far as we're concerned," shouted one member of the audience at the hearing.

The Jan. 5 hearing is the first of a series across the state through March on the proposed hike.

"None of these Public Service Commission members represent John Q. Public," remarked one resident. "That may be the reason we see all these constant increases."

Another resident pointed out that Noranda Aluminum in Missouri, which uses as much electricity as the city of Springfield, Mo., gets a rate for its electricity 60 percent below what the residential consumers pay. She also noted that company profits go to a Apollo Global Management of New York City.

"Why are we ratepayers having to subsidize a hedge fund company in New York?" she asked.

Ameren officials said they have been working to address the rate situation with Noranda. Some Missouri state representatives have expressed concern that Noranda would leave Missouri and take jobs out of the state if rates are raised for Noranda.

Andy Knott, a spokesperson for the "Beyond Coal Campaign" of the Sierra Club, said he was pleased that audience members were not blaming environmental regulations for the plan to hike rates. He said "they get" that the increase is not all about any "higher costs" for cleaner energy.

"The presentation was misleading, because it showed all these plans for solar and cleaner energy," said Knott. "The reality is that this is a coal-based utility facing higher costs for coal. They've even said in the past that they need higher rates to cover the coal they are buying in Wyoming.

"I am not at all surprised that so many comments were about millions executives make, while residents struggle with rate hikes on fixed incomes," added Knott. "Sierra Club's concern is with dirty air and health issues, but we are interested in affordable energy from renewables — and they are becoming cheaper than coal.

"We do think Ameren is starting to get that," added Knott. "But we don't think they are 'getting it' fast enough."