The Public Service Commissioner for the Northern District of Mississippi, Brandon Presley has spoken out against the proposed DOE subsidies that he says would force Mississippians to pay for energy plants that they don’t need or use.
Presley blasted the plan announced by U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry that would subsidize nuclear and coal generators in wholesale electric markets.
“Secretary Perry’s plan is too much, too far, and too fast,” said Presley. “This would leave Mississippians paying for electricity with power they neither use nor need,”
He said Mississippi utilities Entergy and Spire already participate in that market, the Mid-continent Independent System Operator or MISO. A move like this would result in Mississippi customers paying to prop up out-of-state power plants for electricity that Mississippians don’t need or use.
“It’s quite frankly propping up nuclear power plants, and coal plants up north and forcing states like Mississippi to pay for it,” said Presley.
The new rules announced by Perry’s plan would remove some of the authority from state regulators who are best positioned to evaluate which types of power plants should be running.
The Commission has filed comments opposing the move by DOE with the Federal Regulatory Energy Agency.
