Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Meeting Roundup Votes topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Votes at a glance: Mississippi Public Service Commission approves multiple dockets, opens investigations and proclaims Lineman Appreciation Day
Summary
At its April meeting the Mississippi Public Service Commission approved a series of procedural and substantive items, including transfers of small distribution facilities, a telecom ownership transfer, lifting a prior stay on solar-for-schools tariffs, opening a school pipeline-testing rulemaking under new state law, opening an investigation into an unpermitted wastewater utility, and adopting a lineman appreciation proclamation.
The Mississippi Public Service Commission voted on multiple routine and procedural items at its April meeting, approving consent-docket items, transfers of small distribution facilities, a corporate control transfer in the telecommunications sector, and a range of administrative orders. Key outcomes included a unanimous approval of a stipulated depreciation result for Mississippi Power Company, opening an investigation into an unpermitted wastewater utility, and adopting a proclamation recognizing Lineman Appreciation Day on April 18, 2025.
Key votes and actions (summary):
- Consent docket: The commission approved the consent docket item(s) on the record by voice vote.
- Energy — Small-area transfer (Docket 2025 UA 12): Staff presented a petition by East Mississippi Electric Power Association and Four County Electric Power Association to transfer a less-than-one-mile distribution segment in Winston County (serving two customers) to Four County EPA; staff recommended approval and the commission approved the transfer by voice vote. The filing stated there are no costs associated with the transfer and the affected customers were notified in writing and raised no objection on the record.
- Telecommunications — Transfer of indirect control (Docket 2025 UA 28): The commission granted a petition to approve the transfer of indirect control of Quantum Shift Communications (a certificated carrier) from VCOM (as parent) to AppSmart TGN. Staff reported the Federal Communications Commission had granted the companion federal petition in February 2025 and that AppSmart TGN appears to possess the financial, technical and managerial ability to support Quantum Shift. The commission approved the petition by voice vote.
- Administrative — Solar-for-schools tariff stay lifted (Dockets 2016 UN 23; 2023 UN 16; 2023 UN 17; 2023 UN 18): Staff reported that a 2024 stay of tariff provisions for solar-for-schools had been entered when federal grant funding was a possibility. Staff said the federal grants were awarded to other states and Mississippi received none; commissioners voted to lift the prior stay and reinstate the tariff compliance filings by voice vote.
- Administrative — Rulemaking opened for school pipeline testing (pursuant to House Bill 1186): The commission opened a rulemaking docket and invited intervention and comments within 45 days; the commission must promulgate implementing rules by Dec. 31 per the statute.
- Administrative — Final order adopted in a contested case (Docket 2020 AD 2000): The commission denied exceptions filed by two parties and affirmed the hearing examiner’s recommended order as the final order of the commission.
- Administrative — Investigative docket opened (McGill Water Works): The commission opened an investigative docket into McGill Water Works for operating as a wastewater utility in Harrison County without a CPCN (certificate of public convenience and necessity) and referred the matter to a commissioner for investigation.
- Administrative — Procedural substitution in pending docket (Jack and Tammy Wood v. South Central Water Association, Docket 02/2023 '80 '1 '1 '3): The commission voted to substitute a new hearing examiner (Kyle Jones was substituted in the proceeding per the order) and added the matter to the agenda and approved the substitution.
- Proclamation — Lineman Appreciation Day: The commission adopted a proclamation declaring April 18, 2025, as Lineman Appreciation Day in Mississippi, recognizing line workers for storm response and mutual assistance that restores power statewide.
- Depreciation study stipulation (Docket 2024 UN 117): Mississippi Power filed a depreciation study based on 12/31/2023 data. The company’s original study would have produced a total-company revenue requirement increase of $11,300,000; a stipulation between staff and the company reduced the agreed impact to $8,200,000. Staff and company representatives negotiated on several account lives and net-salvage assumptions; the commission approved the stipulation and entered the stipulated figures on the record by unanimous voice vote.
Why it matters: The items approved are largely procedural and non-controversial, but they affect utility operations, corporate control of a certificated telecom provider, school-safety rulemaking and an investigation into an unpermitted wastewater utility. The depreciation stipulation and the ECO rider (reported separately) change the companies’ reported revenue requirements and therefore inform future rate proceedings.
Record and next steps: The commission’s orders and dockets will be reflected in the official filings. Interested parties may monitor the newly opened rulemaking docket for school pipeline testing and the investigative docket for McGill Water Works for further developments.
