The Midwest Gas Users' Association has defended the interests of large industrial and commercial natural gas customers in the Midwest for nearly half a century. Midwest has been active since the late 1940's, often as the sole representative of those interests, at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, its predecessor, the Federal Power Commission, and in the state regulatory commissions of Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma.
Through its activities in numerous cases, Midwest has saved its members and participants over $500 million in natural gas rates and transportation charges and obtained many millions of refunds. Midwest's activities are one of the most important reasons why natural gas rates in the heartland area have remained below the national average for many years. In addition to its more usual activities of defending its members' interests in rate cases, Midwest instituted a complaint against Williams Natural Gas at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 1976 which became the Tight Sands antitrust cases. Along with Midwest's original complaint, those cases were settled nearly a decade later for customer refunds, cash payments and customer indemnification agreements valued at over $270 million. Midwest then won settlements in both Missouri and Kansas that assured that the value of these settlements was returned to all ratepayers including the large commercial and industrial customers. Those settlements continue to result in refunds flowing to former interruptible sales customers.
Midwest and its representatives were instrumental in establishing natural gas transportation into the Midwest in following the 1985 issuance of FERC's seminal Order 436. Through activity and settlements at the FERC, and in the Missouri and Kansas regulatory commissions, Midwest won early access to the interstate transportation system for its members, established reasonable terms, conditions and rates for transportation services provided by the local distribution companies, and has continued to work to defend terms, conditions and rates for transportation services from these distributors and interstate pipeline transporters that are reasonable, prfactically workable and economical. Midwest's activities continued into the development of open access transportation rates and restructuring following Order 636 on Williams, Panhandle Eastern and Kansas Pipeline.
Midwest is a non-profit unincorporated association. Its Articles of Association provide for a Board of Directors of member-selected companies and a small group of officers constituting an executive committee. For many years, Midwest's activities were funded by assessments on member companies' refunds obtained as a result of Midwest's efforts. While in specific occasions assessments are still requested, in more recent years, Midwest's activities are funded by member companies that support Midwest's efforts in particular cases.
Midwest periodically publishes The Gasser, a recent copy of which may be accessed through this website.
You may establish contact with the Association by addressing your inquiry or comments to: Midwest Gas Users' Association, 1209 Penntower Office Center, 3100 Broadway, Kansas City, Missouri 64111, or by email to stucon@fcplaw.com.