The Missouri Public Service Commission has granted a full certificate of public convenience and necessity to Southern Missouri Natural Gas to provide natural gas service to Branson, Hollister and surrounding unincorporated areas.
A City of Houston official said last week that the firm plans to extend service to Lebanon, the Branson area and then on to the Texas County communities of Houston and Licking.
The commission has not granted, at this time, a full certificate of public convenience and necessity to SMNG to provide natural gas service to Branson West.
“SMNG will not be granted a full CCN to provide natural gas service to Branson West until the company demonstrates to the Commission that it has been granted a municipal franchise to serve that community,” said the commission.
In February 2008, a conditional certificate of public convenience and necessity was granted to SMNG to provide natural gas service to Branson, Branson West, Hollister and the surrounding unincorporated areas. Under that PSC decision, SMNG was not to begin the construction of any facility in Missouri for the purpose of offering natural gas service to those areas until it had obtained commission approval of its financing and a full certificate of public convenience and necessity from the Public Service Commission.
The commission recently approved SMNG’s financing application and now has approved a full certificate of public convenience and necessity to SMNG to serve Branson, Hollister and surrounding unincorporated areas.
In February, the commission granted the conditional certificate determining there is a public need for the service proposed by SMNG and that SMNG is qualified to provide natural gas service to the area.
In its latest order, the commission determined that SMNG also has the financial ability to provide the service and that SMNG’s proposal is economically feasible.