Natural Gas Facilities

The Mississippi Public Service Commission approved a natural gas local distribution company’s (LDC’s) plan to extend service into rural and unserved areas.

Under the plan submitted by the LDC, Atmos Energy, the company intends to expend $5 million per year over the next five years in an effort to bring natural gas service to a minimum of 1,000 additional households annually. Of that $5 million annual appropriation, $3 million is to be spent on the extension of main lines to rural and unserved areas, while $2 million is to be devoted to service line extensions and meter installations.

In announcing acceptance of the plan, Commission Chairman Brandon Presley said that citizens living in rural areas should have available to them the same utility service options as people living in urban areas such as Jackson. He applauded the move by Atmos Energy as “the boldest step so far to making that a reality.” The commission noted that more than 3,400 potential customers had already contacted the commission with requests for previously unavailable natural gas service. (Docket Nos. 2017-UA-115, 2013-UN-023)