OREANDA-NEWS. June 30, 2010. The purpose of this visit is to acquaint themselves with practice of energy sector regulation applied by Public Service Commission of Missouri.

The visit will be made in the frame of partnership program of the National Agency for Energy Regulation with the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) and Public Service Commission of Missouri state. The program was launched on the last week in Chisinau. It is financed by US Agency for International Development (USAID).

In the course of visit to Missouri will be discussed a range of actual problems, such as: regulation of heat and renewable energy sectors, transboundary trade relations, differentiation of tarifs on electricity depending on voltage level, and also on natural gas depending on pressure level and consumption volume, involvement of the public in the process of tarifs adoption, monitoring of adhearance of energy services to quality standards, etc. Last week in Chisinau were hold the first events under partnership program.

The signing of Memorandum on accordance between ANRE, NARUC, Public Service Commission of Missouri state and USAID on the implementation of this program became the most important event. During this week American guests and ANRE representatives exchanged information on the top priority problems of Missouri state and Moldova energy sectors regulation.

The partnership program is designed as a tool for exchanging experience and information between the two regulators and aims to improve regulatory practices and establishment of long-term relations between them. This is the second partnership program between ANRE and an USA regulatory authority.

The first partnership – with the Utility Council from Iowa - was held in 2002 - 2004 under the auspices of the same National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners from the USA. It was financed by USAID.