Mississippi PSC: New Generation Capacity Needed by 2014

Mississippi’s Public Service Commission (PSC) on Monday unanimously agreed to continue hearings for a $2.4 billion integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) coal plant in Kempner County, saying that the Mississippi Power Co. (MPCO) had aptly demonstrated that the region would need new generating capacity as early as 2014.

“Further, after a review of the entire record, the commission notes that the record contains no credible evidence to support a finding that MPCO has no need or that this commission should not proceed to Phase two of these proceedings,” Commissioner Lynn Posey said in a statement (PDF) on Monday.

The commission’s Phase 1 hearings examined whether public convenience and necessity required the proposed plant. The second phase of hearings, now set to begin on Feb. 1, 2010, will compare the Kempner plant’s costs against other forms of power generation.

Source: Mississippi PSC