Today the Mississippi PSC held a special meeting and unanimously approved a new order in Docket No. 2018-AD-145, governing Mississippi Power Company’s Reserve Margin Plan. Recognizing that Mississippi Power is generating far more power than is needed by consumers -- and that rate-payers are paying for the extra costs -- the Commission ordered Mississippi Power to present a plan for reducing its electricity-generating capacity by 950 MW by 2027.
The order coincided with a new publicly released report by Bates White, a private consulting firm hired by the Mississippi Public Utilities Staff. The report shows that Plant Victor J. Daniel, a 1,004 MW coal plant in Jackson County, is no longer economic for Mississippi Power customers, costing much more to run and maintain than the energy is worth. Sierra Club has long called attention to Plant Daniel as an uneconomic source of electricity and major source of dirty air and water emissions.
Louie Miller, Mississippi Sierra Club State Director, released the following statement:
“The PSC Commissioners should be applauded for their due diligence in continuing to protect the public’s pocketbook when it comes to electric rates, while providing reliable electric service to Mississippians. The PSC has taken extraordinary steps today to ensure Mississippi is well positioned to take advantage of new technologies such as solar, battery storage, and wind that will set our state on a path toward a clean, renewable, and affordable energy economy. ”
Stephen Stetson, Senior Campaign Representative for the Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign, released the following statement:
“This is a tremendous show of leadership by the Mississippi Public Service Commission and a recognition that ‘more’ is not always ‘better,’ and that there is plenty of room to reduce the dirty and unnecessary sources of energy that burden customers around the state.
“The Reserve Margin docket paves the way for Southern Company to take concrete, tangible action on its promise to eliminate carbon emissions from its portfolio. We know Mississippi Power’s upcoming long-term energy plan will be integral to that process and we’re excited to participate in what happens next. The Bates White report confirmed what we already knew -- it’s well past time to thank Plant Daniel for its service and retire that power plant. The folks on the Mississippi PSC have set up 2021 to be a very good year for the customers they represent.”
