Mississippi Public Service Commission approves annual rate plan, keeps bills 20% below national average

JACKSON, Miss. – On June 17, the Mississippi Public Service Commission approved Entergy Mississippi’s annual rate plan to keep energy rates stable and bills��20% below the national average. The plan, taking effect during the July billing cycle, comes as the anticipated summer heat wave will cause customers to increase their energy usage. The typical residential customer using 1,000 kWh per month will have a bill decrease of .04 cents beginning in July, keeping bills stable.

Despite the increased costs required to generate power, maintain infrastructure and provide electrical service, Entergy Mississippi’s annual rate plan offsets those costs and ensures rates remain as flat as possible, while customers’ energy use is at its highest. The company takes several cost-saving actions to achieve this, including:

• Recruiting new power partners: By bringing new, large customers into our service area, we create a framework that allows us to investment in our infrastructure while lessening the burden for our residential customers.
• Building an all of the above generation mix: Using a diverse range of power sources helps shield customers from fuel price fluctuations and enhances grid reliability.
• Modernizing our generation fleet: With new power generation sources in our plans, the modern technologies will allow us to bring cleaner, more efficient and more cost-effective power to Mississippi.
• Managing fuel costs: Fuel costs are never marked up, so customers pay exactly what we pay. Plus, we’re in a constant state of trying to procure fuel at the lowest price available.

“We’re thankful for the Mississippi Public Service Commission’s continued oversight and support of our efforts to keep rates affordable while making critical reliability improvements and addressing increased challenges caused by vegetation,” said Haley Fisackerly, Entergy Mississippi president and CEO.

The approved plan provides rate stability while also addressing infrastructure upgrades. It includes approximately $525 million related to power quality and reliability improvements, and efforts planned for 2025 to help customers save money through energy efficiency rebates and savings programs.

“It’s more important than ever that our teams work diligently to help keep bills as low as possible, which is why we approach affordability from every angle,” Fisackerly said. “We’re pulling in large customers, so we can direct their funds to modernizing technologies that will benefit all of our customers. And we’re balancing fuel prices, and our generation resources because we know both can fluctuate. We hope this stability will help customers feel some relief from the heat and in their wallets at a time when they need it most.”

As the summer heat rises, customers are reminded that bills are not only impacted by rates, but also energy usage. According to the U.S. ���ϳԹ��� Information Administration, cooling costs can make up more than 52% of an average customer’s electric bill. Customers can visit����to find a variety of tips and resources that help explain bills and save money and energy.

About Entergy Mississippi

Entergy Mississippi, LLC provides electricity to approximately 459,000 customers in 45 counties. Entergy Mississippi is a subsidiary of ���ϳԹ���, a Fortune 500 electric company. Entergy powers life for 3 million customers through our operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We’re investing in the reliability and resilience of the energy system while helping our region transition to cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. With roots in our communities for more than��, Entergy is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship. Since 2018, we have delivered more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to local communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees. For the latest news from Entergy, visit the��.

Entergy Mississippi crews, contractors and tree trimmers are working diligently to complete power restoration following the recent severe weather system that caused significant damage in our service area.

More than 860 workers have been engaged in the restoration effort. We have already restored power to approximately 7,200 homes and businesses – less than 22% of affected customers are still without power.

The multi-day restoration event is expected to be complete by 10 p.m. Tuesday night. Tornado damage impacted our facilities in Grenada, Indianola, Greenville, and Tylertown. Statewide, we sustained damage to 34 transmission structures, including three transmission structures feeding the substation in Elliott.��The catastrophic damage made it difficult to access some areas with heavy equipment needed for power restoration.

Most customers in Tylertown and McComb are expected to be restored by 10 p.m. tonight. The majority of customers in Duck Hill, Elliott, Gore Springs and Grenada are expected to be restored by 10 p.m. Tuesday, though some may carry over until Wednesday.

Damage assessment is 100% complete and has identified damage to 207 poles, 34 transformers, 191 crossarms and 18 miles of downed wire. In some places there were dozens of poles down in one area, including more than 100 poles down in Elliott and 84 poles down in Tylertown.

We continue to urge everyone to be safe. Stay away from downed power lines as well as flooded areas. Do not walk in standing water and do not venture into areas of debris since you may not be able to see a power line that could still be energized and dangerous.

Customers can stay informed on restoration efforts through the following channels:

• Download the��Entergy app. Customers can use the app to report outages or check on the status of power at their home or business.
• Check Entergy’s��View Outages��map. Maps show where outages are located and give information about restoration progress.
• Follow Entergy Mississippi on�������Ի���. Social media��also plays an important role in keeping you informed, and we place a high priority on updating our social media channels throughout an event.

• Text us: If you are signed up to receive our notifications, you can text OUT to 36778 to report an outage. To sign up for text messaging, go to����or text REG to 36778. Have your account number and ZIP code handy. The registration pattern is as follows including spaces: REG (account number) (ZIP code).

• Visit the����website. The site has storm safety, preparation and restoration information that is updated throughout the day.
• Download the��Operation: Storm Ready Guide. This guide will help you plan and prepare for weather emergencies. Information is also available in�������Ի���.

Here’s a list of the most viewed stories in our newsroom this year:

#1

The most viewed story in our newsroom this year happened at the top of the year with the announcement of the��. The $10 billion investment by Amazon Web Services, Inc., will bring new jobs and economic development opportunities to the state. It will also��support long-term power reliability and affordability��for all Entergy Mississippi customers.

#2

In November, the company����and celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Gerald Andrus Steam Electric Station. All in Greenville, the Delta Blues Advanced Power Station will replace Gerald Andrus with more clean and efficient generation – ensuring customers continue to have modern, reliable energy well into the future.

#3

Just in time for the summer heatwave, the Mississippi Public Service Commission����and help keep bills stable for customers. Entergy Mississippi’s residential rates continue to be among the lowest in the nation and have grown more slowly than the cost of other goods since 2005.

#4

Ahead of Hurricane Francine’s landfall in Louisiana,��, and encouraged customers to get prepared for the peak of hurricane season. Crews worked as quickly and safely as possible to restore power to����who lost power after the storm moved through the state.

#5

This year, Entergy Mississippi��to older adults and customers with disabilities. The company announced the contribution at one of the final games played by the Mississippi Braves baseball team in Pearl. The bill assistance, which includes contributions from employees, customers and shareholders, is distributed through Entergy’s��The Power to Care program, with the help of The Salvation Army.

#6

Five communities in Entergy Mississippi’s service area����to help boost business growth in their communities. The grants are awarded through the Excellerator Competitive Communities program, which helps communities within Entergy’s service area expand and attract new businesses and jobs.

#7

In March, Entergy Mississippi����in the Snowden Grove Park community, near Tchulahoma Road in Southaven. The substation is a part of a $37 million project, which enhances reliability for the existing transmission and distribution systems by providing capacity for future residential, commercial and industrial growth in DeSoto County.

#8

In October, the Entergy Charitable Foundation����to help fund the creation of the Critical Power Grid Network Security Lab. This advanced initiative between Jackson State and Entergy will create an innovation hub to help train a highly skilled cybersecurity workforce to meet the growing needs of nuclear, electric and natural gas companies, and electrical cooperatives. It’s the largest contribution the company has made to any school in the state.

#9

This summer, Entergy Mississippi����through its Beat the Heat program focused on helping its low-income customers and communities stay cool and pay their bills. Customers received bill payment assistance, fans, energy efficiency kits, home weatherization and invaluable support from local community partners.

#10

Providing customers with power they can depend on, at a price they can afford is a longstanding mission of Entergy Mississippi. Data from earlier this year showed the efforts the company has put forth to maintain reliability and affordability have��yielded great results��– allowing more investment in infrastructure and better performance.

A groundbreaking ceremony for Entergy Mississippi’s newly announced Delta Blues Advanced Power Station was held recently in Greenville, along with recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Gerald Andrus Steam Electric Station. Gerald Andrus will be retired when the new plant comes online in 2028.

This week we celebrate achievements across the nuclear energy industry and at Entergy, as we recognize the vital role nuclear professionals play in powering our communities with clean, carbon-free electricity. This is only achieved because of their relentless focus on operating our plants safely, securely and reliably.����

Our customers count on us to keep the lights on, and we do so with clean, reliable energy, 24/7, 365. Our Entergy fleet of five nuclear reactors at four sites in Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana prevents nearly 23 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in the environment each year. That is about the same as taking nearly five million passenger vehicles off the road.��

This is an exciting time to be working in nuclear. As the Nuclear ���ϳԹ��� Institute reported last year about the , from 2016 to 2020, support held steady at 45% and then jumped to nearly 60% this year. People are seeing the value of nuclear as a clean, reliable energy source, as well as a powerful economic force—driving opportunities in business, employment and volunteerism.������

In celebration of Nuclear Science Week, Entergy’s fleetwide chapters of Women in Nuclear and North American Young Generation in Nuclear will be expanding outreach, educating our customers and other stakeholders about the benefits of nuclear energy.

Engage with Entergy Nuclear on , and Entergy on or to learn more about our industry, our commitment to our customers and communities, and rewarding in this exciting and growing field.

GREENVILLE, Miss. – For the first time in 50 years, Entergy Mississippi is building a new natural gas power station, which will ensure customers continue to have modern, reliable energy well into the future. The advanced facility will be the first combined-cycle combustion turbine power station the company has built from the ground up.

“As our customers’ needs and environmental factors evolve, so must our fleet. We’re investing in cleaner, more efficient power generation now, to help us keep bills lower for customers than they otherwise would be in the future,” said Haley Fisackerly, president and CEO of Entergy Mississippi.

The combined-cycle combustion turbine facility is a dual-fuel technology. While natural gas is the primary resource, the advanced facility will be designed to support blended hydrogen to produce reliable energy.

Eventually, the company will retire the Gerald Andrus Steam Electric Station, which is currently located in Greenville. By replacing older power plants with more advanced and efficient technology, Entergy Mississippi is producing more electricity from the same amount of fuel while significantly reducing carbon emissions.

Over the past two decades, the utility has bought three natural gas power stations – Attala Plant in Sallis (2006), Hinds ���ϳԹ��� Facility in Jackson (2012) and Choctaw ���ϳԹ��� Facility in French Camp (2019).

In addition to the current natural gas units, the Sunflower Solar Station near Ruleville (2022) and the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station in Port Gibson (1985) are generating emission-free electricity and contributing to the company’s diverse and reliable power generation mix. Entergy Mississippi purchased the solar facility and owns a portion of the nuclear plant.

The new power station is expected to be completed in 2028.

About Entergy Mississippi

Entergy Mississippi, LLC provides electricity to approximately 459,000 customers in 45 counties. Entergy Mississippi is a subsidiary of ���ϳԹ���, a Fortune 500 electric company. Entergy powers life for 3 million customers through our operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We’re investing in the reliability and resilience of the energy system while helping our region transition to cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. With roots in our communities for more than , Entergy is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship. Since 2018, we have delivered more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to local communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees. For the latest news from Entergy Mississippi, visit the and connect with @EntergyMS on social media.

When we say, ‘meet customers’ needs,’ we’re not only talking about having generation to meet the load that will come with the growth. We’re also talking about building clean energy, efficiently.

I recently had the pleasure of sitting on a panel at the Amazon Web Services Summit in Washington, D.C., and it was clear that having AWS as a customer will allow us to both explore new grid strengthening technologies and continue leading our industry peers in sustainability goals as this new energy era emerges.����

As the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy, Amazon places high emphasis on sustainability. Amazon recently met its goal to match all of the electricity consumed across its operations with 100% renewable energy in 2023, and the company remains committed to its Climate Pledge to become net-zero carbon by 2040.Comparatively, Entergy was the first U.S. utility to set a voluntary greenhouse gas emission goal in 2001. We’re also striving to achieve 50% carbon-free energy capacity by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. With these aligned goals, we’re quickly working on clean energy projects to support AWS and prepare for more growth from companies alike.

Why is this important? As I told the room in D.C., new clean energy technologies that have been sitting on the shelf are expected to be practical at the utility scale in the near future. Bringing on a customer like AWS is allowing us to move closer toward improving the energy grid with those innovative technologies for the benefit of all our customers, current and future. Yes, solar energy is clean, carbon-free generation and we’re adding 650 megawatts of it to our portfolio to support AWS.

But combined cycle generation is a clean technology we’re also focused on to support the grid and our customers; it’s efficient and has the capability to convert to hydrogen and enable carbon capture and storage technology. Along with the clean energy provided by Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, we’re looking at a more diverse energy generation portfolio – which will help us reduce future environmental and market risks. Together, our investments in clean energy don’t just help the environment, they help our communities prosper. And, they help keep customers’ bills lower than they otherwise would be in the future.��

Intelligent infrastructure

While we work to unlock those new generation options, we’re tapping into grid enhancing technologies that allow us to deliver power you can count on and be more resilient during increasingly extreme weather events. Artificial intelligence and predictive modeling is helping us identify and make equipment repairs before they’re needed. ��

We’re also using temperature-adjusted ratings in real-time, and collecting data through sensors and devices, to anticipate when ambient temperatures may impact the flow of power. Operators are using that data to reroute power to other existing circuits to minimize impact to our customers.

As we collect more data, AI is going to accelerate our understanding of how we can more efficiently deploy energy and unlock more renewables and opportunities. I boldly believe there will be a day when electric utilities are able to tell customers they will never lose power.

Changing the landscape

As I sat on that panel in D.C. beside AWS’ Vice President of Public Policy for the Americas, Shannon Kellogg, and ACORE’s Senior Vice President of Policy and Engagement, Lesley Hunter, we agreed that data centers are changing the energy landscape.

Is there enough land and electricity? That’s the question driving decisions today about where data center companies will locate facilities or expand operations. With the help of supportive communities and regulators, we’re optimally situated to provide that speed.��Entergy Mississippi is a key economic development partner in recruiting new business to the state. That translates to jobs and investments right here in Mississippi communities.

We were at the table with AWS five years before the announcement of the company’s historic planned $10 billion investment, and our confidence in the strength and durability of our pipeline is high. This will be a record year for the number of requests we’ve received for interconnection studies. That’s important because it’s our first indication that a customer is serious about locating to our service area.

One of the biggest and most stable markets for data center investment is the Gulf Region. We caught a big fish, but it’s only the beginning. The transition to electrification and cleaner energy will not only reduce carbon emissions, but will also lead to onshoring of jobs, increased tax revenue, investment in educational programs, and a better quality of life in the communities we serve.����

Nearly a year after a deadly EF-4 tornado tore through the Mississippi Delta, and destroyed essential equipment at our Winona Substation, the facility is back in operation. Throughout the repair process, engineers used creative problem-solving to not only boost the project’s efficiency, but to also save money on materials.

“Instead of going to the storeroom to use brand new supplies for every piece of the project, our grid engineers, with the help of area supervisors, and operations coordinators, went looking for high quality spare parts and structures that were no longer needed at other substations. They spread out across our service area on the hunt for materials that could be applied,” said John Stevens, senior manager, grid.

After a storm, restoration expenses are considered a cost of providing electric service, and they are paid for by customers. “It was important that we found creative ways to lower the cost of the rebuild. We were able to pass savings along to our customers,” Stevens added. Using as many reclaimed materials as possible also helped save time, as supply chain lead times on some new materials would have extended the project’s completion date. These extra efforts to find quality materials show Entergy’s dedication to customer centricity. ��

In total, the substation cost approximately $3.5 million. That included replacing towers, a capacitor bank, lots of steel structures, the control house, fencing, and even some poles. The cost of the substation was much lower than what it could have been, thanks to the hard work of the engineering teams.

“There were many days that our grid team here in Mississippi huddled up to determine what equipment needed replacing, and made sure the equipment we gathered was right for the project,” said Stevens. “And project management and design teams in New Orleans served as great partners in making the rebuild efficient and timely. Plus, our construction teams helped relocate the materials.”

While the project moved through its various stages, the Winona community was being served by a mobile substation – a mammoth piece of equipment that acts just like a permanent substation.

“When Winona was impacted by the tornado, it cut the substation out of an essential transmission equation. That substation helps feed three other substations. Bringing the mobile unit in helped us serve the distribution lines while we worked on the transmission end,” Stevens said.

As part of our storm hardening efforts, mobile substations are on standby, ready to deploy when severe weather compromises our substations. And now, the mobile unit that had been in Winona since March 2023 has returned home to await its next heroic duty.

Entergy Mississippi recently completed a $1.3 million project to update a major transmission pathway coming from the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station. The completion of the project supports affordability and significantly lowers the risk of transmission interruptions between Entergy Mississippi’s single largest power resource and the Franklin Substation located in Franklin County, Mississippi.

The project, which was born from a study to find opportunities for improved reliability, included replacing two transmission line structures outside the substation, and reconfiguring equipment inside of it.

“The completion of this project not only helps us prevent the risk of unexpectedly losing connectivity with Grand Gulf, but it also avoids creating future customer costs that would be associated with losing that connectivity. The study that helped us realize this risk was integral to enhancing our grid,” said Randy Vaughan, director, project delivery.

Project managers coordinated around other work happening in and near Grand Gulf, and found the optimal time to complete the project in early 2024. Over the course of about a week, highly skilled crews switched phases and built new lines, which will help mitigate future risks of tripping transmission service from Grand Gulf to the substation.

Vaughan continued, “To put it into perspective, during the hottest and coldest months of the year, Entergy Mississippi’s peak load is around 3.4 gigawatts. Grand Gulf alone supplies 1.5 gigawatts of power across the grid. By supplying reliable and affordable power, we’re meeting our customers’ current and future needs. That’s why this project was important.”

Entergy Mississippi continually works to mitigate risks and improve service for our customers. Data shows the efforts the company has put forth to maintain reliability and affordability over the years have yielded great results – allowing more investment in infrastructure and better performance.

Success in Entergy Mississippi’s reliability efforts is particularly evident in data comparisons from 2022 to 2023. Entergy follows an industry standard to capture outage metrics, measuring the frequency and the duration of outages. Year to year, there was a 19.5% drop in the number of outages customers experienced. Plus, the average length of each outage decreased by 9%��– or 8.5 million customer minutes.

The industry method excludes data from some severe weather events, such as the tornadoes that impacted the Mississippi Delta, in order to reflect the most common circumstances.

No singular sweeping change brought the improvements to the utility’s performance. Instead, it was continued execution and increased spending in reliability programs.

Collective efforts

Over the last five years, Entergy Mississippi’s investment in recurring reliability programs aimed at improving power delivery has increased by 14%. Notably, the FOCUS program – which stands for find, observe, collect, understand, and succeed – allows teams to study outage patterns for feeders and devices, and essentially find solutions to reduce interruptions. From engineers to operations coordinators to lineworkers, the FOCUS program works because experts with different talents come together to solve a targeted issue.

“Sometimes the solutions we find are simple fixes like replacing an insulator. Other times we have to pull in more resources. But the most important part is that the FOCUS program allows us to really zoom in,” said Philip Ozier, senior manager, engineering.

During this time, crews have completed 271 FOCUS projects. To understand the effectiveness of the completed project, we make before and after comparisons of the number of device outages and customer interruptions. These projects have successfully reduced outages for customers who get power from the upgraded devices by 62%. “Our continued investment and execution in this reliability program has helped us avoid 90,000 interruptions for our customers. Our teams are immensely proud of that,” Ozier said.

An increase in has also contributed to better performance. Self-healing networks include equipment that automatically isolates a circuit and restores power to a portion of the customers impacted by a circuit, without human intervention. This helps shorten outages and reduce the number of customers impacted by an outage. Entergy Mississippi investments have tripled the number self-healing networks in the service area over the last three years.

Commitment to reliability programs like FOCUS and self-healing networks help make the greatest performance improvements across the grid, while keeping rates affordable.

Pole savings

Also significant to affordability, power delivery teams have successfully turned what could have been a $13 million distribution pole replacement project into a $3.6 million effort. They did it by cleaning up data, outsourcing appropriately, and geographic strategy.

Historically, Entergy Mississippi approached aging distribution wood poles in a manner that scattered teams across the service area, treating or reenforcing some poles and replacing others. Despite ongoing replacement efforts, by 2023, our systems indicated a backlog of nearly 3,000 poles needing to be replaced.

But, just as the poles were scattered, so was the data. Entergy Mississippi dedicated analysts and engineers to comb through the information, discovering just 780 poles needing replacement.

��And while replacing a distribution pole can cost $17,000 on average, power delivery teams identified efficiencies in its engineering approach and reduced construction labor by targeting poles by region. The cost per pole was eventually reduced to just $5,000.

“Not only have we gotten the backlog down to under 200 poles since last year, these poles were just identified 6 months ago. The savings and this new replacement process benefits our customers by allowing us to tackle aging distribution poles on a quicker cycle,” said Randy Vaughan, director, project delivery.

The $9 million in savings from the pole replacement project helps Entergy Mississippi continue its pledge to provide affordable service, by allowing the company to invest in more reliability programs.

Fortifying for the future

While celebrating the strides made in bolstering electric service reliability, Entergy Mississippi is also monitoring evolving challenges posed by intensifying weather events.

The Mississippi Forestry Commission’s discovery of more than 12.5 million dead trees across the state compounds the threat to our grid. Our crews have already seen the effects of ferocious weather and drought-impacted trees during this year’s weather events. Comparing the first three months of 2024 to the average from the previous three years, outages caused by fallen trees are up by 160%.

While Entergy Mississippi maintains vegetation in our right of way, many of these outages are caused by downed trees outside of our right of way.

With this challenge in mind, our dedication to power growth and provide reliable service remains strong.