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**Entergy Update to article**
“We appreciate the Commission’s acknowledgment of the unprecedented nature of the June storms, and we wholeheartedly agree with the Commission’s praise of Entergy Mississippi line workers and contractors who have worked tirelessly for days on end to restore power to customers. We look forward to the opportunity to provide the Commission with a deeper understanding of the challenges that last month’s treacherous weather brought into our service area, and the strategies we quickly implemented to avoid further delay to our customers.
We have an intensive storm evaluation process, and we are working to correct issues experienced by the systems that identify where outages exist and provide customers with information about their outage and estimated restoration timeline. As we always do, we will keep the Commission apprised through this process.”
Jackson, MS— Central District Public Service Commissioner Brent Bailey has announced a comprehensive review of Entergy Mississippi, LLC’s restoration efforts in response to the recent widespread outages that caused hardship for many of their customers. The review is the result of Commissioner Bailey’s
own frustration and deep concern with Entergy Mississippi’s preparation, customer communication and outage map system performance throughout the middle of June.
Entergy Mississippi experienced a significant number of outages attributable to strong storm systems in June, which left tens of thousands without power for multiple days, and some for more than a week. In light of these events, the Commission has deemed it necessary to closely examine the utility’s response efforts and ensure that actions are taken to prevent similar situations in the future.
“It is our responsibility as regulators to ensure that our utilities and power providers are prepared and capable of swiftly restoring power and providing necessary communications during times of outages,” Commissioner Bailey said. “Entergy Mississippi’s recent widespread outages have raised operational concerns and caused hardships among customers, and this review aims to address those concerns and identify any areas for improvement.”
Entergy Mississippi’s response to the Commission is due in six-weeks and will include an assessment of the timeline of events, protocols and procedures of power restoration, communication with affected customers, and overall preparedness and planning, while keeping the safety of customers and line workers as a top priority.
The review process will also include soliciting feedback from customers who were directly affected by the outages. Commissioner Bailey encourages residents and businesses to share their experiences during the outages. To provide feedback regarding Entergy Mississippi’s restoration and/or communication efforts, customers must email their input to:
emlresponse@psc.ms.gov.
“The Commission emphasizes the importance of transparency and accountability in ensuring reliable and affordable utility services,” Commissioner Bailey said. “This review aims to identify any shortcomings and strengthen practices that will help Entergy Mississippi better serve the community before, during and after emergencies. Our findings will be made available to the public.”
Commissioner Bailey concludes, “The frequency and severity of extreme weather events and other threats is increasing. Customers and regulators must have confidence that their utility provider is not only prepared for any challenges that arises but is also taking proactive measures to improve system reliability and enhance communication with customers.”
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