Public Service Commission getting ARRA funds

JACKSON — The Mississippi Public Service Commission (PSC) will receive $824,901 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds, according to Congressman Travis Childers (D-Miss.). This funding is part of the ARRA’s investment in state PSCs to help create jobs, improve training and increase energy efficiency.

With this ARRA funding, the PSC will create and provide training for five new positions, three electric policy experts and two support staff positions. This money will also be used to devise a five-year forecast for the electricity needs of the state, helping to assess the needs of Mississippi and address how to meet them.

Nationwide, PSCs, which regulate and oversee electricity projects in their states, will be receiving more than $44.2 million in ARRA funding to hire new staff and retrain existing employees to ensure they have the capacity to quickly and effectively review proposed electricity projects. The funds will help the individual state PSCs accelerate reviews of the large number of electric utility requests that are expected under the ARRA.