Mississippi Power Seeks to Raise rates to Pay for Hayley Barbour's Boondoggle Kemper Power Plant

Mississippi Power Co. filed three proposals Friday with the Public Service Commission seeking higher rates to pay for the $6.2 billion power plant that it’s building in Kemper County. Under the worst-case scenario, typical residential customers could see monthly bills rise to $180.75.

 In a phone interview with Associated Press, CEO Ed Holland said the Southern Co. subsidiary prefers a plan that would result in the lowest increase for customers. Holland said the company will use a provision in state law to enact the steepest increase while waiting on a regulatory decision if the Public Service Commission doesn’t act within 120 days. Mississippi Power would have to post a bond for possible refunds if it did that.