Ross Reily
Mississippi Clarion Ledger
Revenue from Mississippi’s rapidly expanding data center industry helped prevent an electric rate increase for Entergy Mississippi customers this summer, according to the utility, which says large technology investments are beginning to generate direct benefits for ratepayers.
The Mississippi Public Service Commission recently approved Entergy Mississippi’s annual rate plan, keeping rates flat during the peak summer season. Entergy said the action prevented what otherwise would have been a $4.87 monthly increase in July compared with June. Company officials credited revenue from large data center customers for helping offset costs that otherwise would have been passed on to residential and business customers.
The utility said the decision represents the first customer benefit from its Fair Share Plus Pledge announced in March. Under that initiative, Entergy projects more than $2 billion in savings for Mississippi customers over the next two decades as data centers continue to expand their operations in the state.