Mississippi

MISSISSIPPI

Known as The Magnolia State, Mississippi has a population of nearly 3 million people and occupies an area of nearly 47 thousand square miles. The state gains its name from the Mississippi River, which is one of the world’s major river systems in size, habitat diversity, and biological productivity, as well as being a vital commercial waterway and migration route. In the first half of the nineteenth century, Mississippi was the top producer of cotton and became the second state to withdraw from the union in 1861. A little more than one hundred years later, Mississippi became a key battleground state for the Civil Rights Movement.

Today, Mississippi has the highest poverty rate in the US, with nearly 20% of the state’s residents living below the poverty line, and with the lowest ranking healthcare system. The social and economic factors compound the challenges posed by climate change, which it manifests in Mississippi in the form of extreme heat, drought, and sea level rise. Already today, Mississippi averages 25 days a year when heat exceeds dangerous levels, with that number projected to rise to 100 days annually by 2050. The severity of droughts is expected to increase by over 100% by 2050 in Mississippi. Agriculture and forestry are Mississippi’s biggest industry, so the outcoming of these intersecting factors will be of major consequence for the state’s economy.

Stream flows in the Midwest are increasing as rainstorms become more severe, which in turn raises water levels of the Mississippi River which acclerates the likelihood of inland flooding in Mississippi with 200 square miles currently sitting within the 100-year coastal floodplain, meaning the area with a 1% chance or greater of flooding each year. This is expected to increase to 300 square miles by 2050. In Mississippi, like in Louisiana, sea level rise is also accelerating faster than in the rest of the country because the land is sinking.

In 2019, natural gas accounted for about 74% of Mississippi’s electricity net generation and about 17% was generated by nuclear power. Mississippi is home to the largest nuclear reactor in the US — the Grand Gulf Nuclear Power Station. Renewable energy accounted for 3% of Mississippi’s 2019 power generation, four-fifths of which comes from biomass and the remainder from solar.

While Mississippi has programs that provide relief and support for current environmental emergencies, the state has not implemented policies that mitigate the future consequences of climate change or that build resilience by focusing on adaptation to the inevitable change. For this lack of action, Mississippi received an F grade on States At Risk’s Preparedness Report Card, which assesses state’s climate responsive policies in comparison to other states and in the context of their unique climate risks.

How Farmers Along The Mississippi Are Affected By Climate Change | NBC News Now

CREDIT: NBC NEWS

CURRENT NEWS

Mississippi River basin residents worry about the environment and want change, study finds. But many don’t know they’re in the basin.

By Madeline Heim 10/23/23
New research gives a rare look at climate attitudes of Mississippi River basin residents and the relationship they have — or don't have — with one of the world's most important rivers.
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Why the saltwater wedge climbing up the Mississippi River is a wake-up call to the region

By Roby Chavez 10/13/23
A saltwater intrusion from the Gulf of Mexico predicted to reach metro New Orleans by the middle of this month has slowed, a relief to emergency officials and communities who were bracing for the worst.
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Here’s Why Salt Water Is Invading the Mississippi and Whether It Will Happen More Often

By Chelsea Harvey and E&E News 10/12/23
The drought-driven wedge of salt water creeping up the Mississippi River is deepening a mystery about one of the world's mightiest waterways.
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Climate change affects the Mississippi. But how much does the river contribute to it?

By Eric Schmid 08/14/23
The ways climate change affects the Mississippi River have become undeniably more pronounced in recent years.
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MSU receives $4 million in NSF EPSCoR funding to study Mississippi Delta climate impacts, resilience

08/07/23
Mississippi State University is leading a $4 million, five-year National Science Foundation-funded effort to study climate change impacts in the Mississippi Delta and increase resilience among vulnerable populations.
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Recently parched Mississippi River faces major floods as record snows melt

By Scott Dance 04/27/23
Major flood stages, the second highest on record in some spots, stretch from Minnesota and Wisconsin to Iowa and Illinois
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Biden-Harris Administration give $9.9 million for climate change projects in Mississippi

04/21/23
Vice President Kamala Harris announced that the Department of Commerce has recommended $9.9 million for projects across Mississippi to make communities and the economy more resilient to climate change, as part of the Investing in…
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How climate change made the Mississippi tornadoes more likely

By Siri Chilukuri 03/30/23
A recent study is disrupting the conventional wisdom that there is no connection between climate change and deadly tornadoes, such as the ones that tore through Mississippi over the weekend.
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Mississippi tornado: Biden declares emergency after storm kills 26 in region

By Oliver Laughland 03/26/23
Search and recovery efforts continue after twister hit hardest in some of the most economically deprived areas of US’s poorest state
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How Mississippi’s tornadoes unfolded overnight and why they were so deadly

By Jason Samenow 03/25/23
At least 23 people are dead in Mississippi following a terrifying Friday night in which large, destructive tornadoes tore across the state. The violent twisters formed amid a severe weather outbreak that unleashed damage from…
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Daily on Energy: Rivian versus the Mississippi legislature

By Jeremy Beaman 03/07/23
RIVIAN FIGHTING DEALERSHIP RULES IN MISSISSIPPI: A bill that would prohibit electric vehicle manufacturers from selling their cars directly to consumers has cleared both the Mississippi House and Senate, in what opponents argue is a…
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Mississippi River mayors eye federal funds to fight effects of climate change

By Keely Brewer 03/06/23
A coalition of more than 100 Mississippi River mayors are pushing for more investment in natural infrastructure, ecosystem restoration and disaster resilience. The Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI) released its policy platform during…
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PLANS TO ACCELERATE RENEWABLES

Portland company enters deal with Shell to generate renewable energy from Mississippi River currents

10/24/23
A Portland renewable power company announced Tuesday that it has a deal with energy giant Shell for a Mississippi River demonstration project to generate electricity from river currents.

TVA, Origis Announce Three Solar-Plus-Storage Projects for Mississippi

10/11/23
A renewable energy development group said it has started work on the first of three planned solar-plus-storage projects in Mississippi that will serve both residential and industrial customers.

Microsoft invests in 6.6 MW solar facility in Mississippi

08/24/23
Microsoft is no stranger to investing in solar energy. Ranked at the top of the charts in the Solar Means Business 2022 report that analyzes commercial solar adoption. The report tracked 47,000 corporate solar installations…

Clearloop develops 1st solar project in Mississippi community

08/23/23
Silicon Ranch is building a 6.6-MWDC solar project in Panola County, Mississippi, that will support Microsoft’s company goals to reduce carbon production. The project is being facilitated through Silicon Ranch’s carbon reduction subsidiary, Clearloop.

Amazon wind farm in Mississippi will power local Whole Foods Market, fulfillment centers

07/28/23
A wind farm in Mississippi is in the works for Amazon, and the power generated will be used for fulfillment centers and a Whole Foods Market.

Amazon announces construction of Mississippi’s first utility-scale wind farm

07/07/23
Amazon is backing a growing number of new renewable energy projects across Mississippi that will provide clean electricity to power local homes and businesses, create jobs, drive economic development, and also help power the company’s…

Mississippi To Become Clean Hydrogen Hub

05/18/23
Mississippi’s Hy Stor Energy could soon make the Magnolia State one of the nation’s biggest “green” hydrogen hubs. According to CleanTechnica, the company submitted its Mississippi Clean Hydrogen Hub (MCHH) proposal to the Department of…

How $1 billion from Department of Energy could help create a green hydrogen hub in South MS

05/16/23
The company said in a press release it submitted an application to the U.S. Department of Energy for funding of the operation that would generate zero emission hydrogen energy and create hundreds of jobs.

Mississippi Takes Green Hydrogen To Next Level

05/15/23
The Energy Department launched an $8 billion hydrogen program last year, and state officials around the nation are scrambling to get a slice of the pie. In some cases they are even putting partisan politics…

Renewable fuels feedstock facility opens on CSX network in Mississippi

05/10/23
Renewable fuels producer Oleo-X has established a production facility in Mississippi that will be served by CSX.

Clearloop breaks ground on first of three new solar projects in the Mississippi Delta By SB Staff

04/17/23
Clearloop has gathered support from more than 30 companies across the United States to cut their carbon footprint by investing in the first solar project to be developed in Panola County, Mississippi, a community at…

Clearloop breaks ground on first of three new solar projects in the Mississippi Delta

04/17/23
Clearloop has gathered support from more than 30 companies across the United States to cut their carbon footprint by investing in the first solar project to be developed in Panola County, Mississippi, a community at…

Allume Energy announces latest U.S. SolShare installation in Mississippi

04/11/23
The installation will bring clean energy access and cost savings to low-income residents in Jackson, Mississippi

Entergy’s new solar station (Wildlife Mississippi)

03/20/23
The year was 1980. I was in 8th grade at Coleman Junior High School in Greenville. My science project was a solar furnace; it utilized a Fresnel lens which could easily melt aluminum, which melts…

Mississippi updated its solar energy guidelines. Renewable energy advocates want more

03/06/23
The Campbells switched to solar in 2016 because the Mississippi Public Service Commission created the state's first set of net metering rules. The guidelines were put in place for people who want to use renewable…

LAWMAKERS DECIDE FATE OF APPROPRIATIONS AND REVENUE BILLS IN OWN CHAMBER

02/27/23
On February 22, the Mississippi Legislature faced the deadline for original floor actions on Appropriations and Revenue bills originating in their own chamber for this 2023 session. Below is a brief recap of what survived…

Biden-Harris Administration Provides $262 Million to Improve Access to Jobs, Health Care and Infrastructure Across the Rural Partners Network

02/15/23
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small today announced that USDA is providing $262 million to improve access to jobs, health care and infrastructure for people in historically underserved communities…

Mississippi schools look to solar power to cut costs

12/21/22
A recent change to Mississippi’s power generation laws, set to take effect in January, will allow over half of the state’s public school districts to start saving money by generating their own solar energy.

United States: Mississippi Enhances Renewable Energy Generation Exemptions

11/23/22
In recent years, there has been considerable interest in renewable energy, spurred by a desire of large industrial users to be 100% renewable, governmental policy and other factors. As a result, there has been an…

Mississippi sets new rule on incentive for renewable energy

10/06/22
Mississippi utility regulators have approved a new incentive program for renewable energy despite objections from Republican Gov. Tate Reeves and large utility companies.

Entergy Mississippi to bring Sunflower Solar Station online

05/26/22
Construction is complete on a 100-megawatt renewable solar power station near Ruleville in the Mississippi Delta, providing clean energy to Entergy Mississippi’s 461,000 customers. The Sunflower Solar Station is the largest utility-owned solar installation in…

State weighs expanding access to rooftop solar program

02/23/22
As utilities and clean energy advocates battle over expanding a seldom-used renewable energy program, the state’s regulators must soon decide: what is rooftop solar worth in Mississippi? On March 1, the Public Service Commission will…

Nissan Investing $500M In Mississippi Expansion

02/22/22
Nissan will build two all-new, all-electric vehicles at its Nissan Canton Vehicle Assembly Plant in Mississippi. The automobile maker will invest $500 million in its Canton facility to support the expansion, which will bring the…

Mississippi Power Announces Solar Photovoltaic Renewable Energy RFP

02/03/22
Mississippi Power has released a request for proposals for solar photovoltaic renewable resources. Qualifying proposals submitted through this RFP will afford Mississippi Power an opportunity to review market offerings of RFP resources. The company will…

RFP Alert: Mississippi Power seeks 200MW of solar

02/02/22
Utility Mississippi Power announced a request for proposal (RFP) for a total of 200MW of solar photovoltaic projects. The projects must have an export capability of the point of interconnection of at least 20MWac. The…

$90 million DeSoto County solar facility approved by Mississippi Public Service Commissioner

01/28/22
Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley said he has approved a $90 million solar facility in Desoto County. The Wildflower Solar petition was at the center of a public hearing Thursday which Presley attended.…

Mississippi Renewable Energy Projects Poised For Continued Growth As New Tax Incentives Go Forward

01/27/22
Pursuing and developing clean, renewable energy continues to play an important role in economic development momentum across the U.S. As states across the Southeast continue to grow their energy independence by prioritizing energy efficiency and…

Entergy Mississippi to Increase Renewable Energy Sources

11/11/21
One of the largest electricity providers in Mississippi said Wednesday that it intends to shut down some aging natural gas power generating plants over the next five years and expand its use of renewable energy…

Mississippi Chosen As Site for Massive Green Hydrogen Hub

10/22/21
Hy Stor Energy LP and Connor, Clark & Lunn Infrastructure (CC&L) are partnering to develop what they claim will be the first-ever zero-carbon green hydrogen storage hub in the United States.

KEY RESOURCES

Energy State Bill Tracking Database

09/10/21
The searchable Energy Storage Legislation Database displays information in interactive maps and charts, tracking state activity from 2017 to the present.

The First National Flood Risk Assessment

10/06/20
The First Street Foundation Flood Model represents the culmination of decades of research and development made possible by building upon existing knowledge and frameworks regularly referenced in the identification of flood risk.

The Impacts of Climate Change and the Trump Administration’s Anti-Environmental Agenda in Mississippi

09/19/20
Between 2017 and 2019, Mississippi experienced two flooding events, six severe storms, one tropical cyclone, and one freeze. The damages of these events led to losses of at least $1 billion.

State-by-State: Climate Change in Mississippi

07/31/20
Mississippi is vulnerable to sea level rise, flooding and increasing temperatures – all which threaten the state’s agriculture and energy industries as well as human health

Mississippi Biomass and Renewable Energy Council

04/27/20
The Mississippi Biomass and Renewable Energy Council is "the voice of sustainable industry in Mississippi".

Climate Change: How it Affects Our Park

04/27/20
Since the 1970's, the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MISS) has been experiencing the subtle effects of climate change. Average temperatures have been slowly rising, especially in winter months, and the number of notable…

Wind Energy in Mississippi

04/27/20
Find wind data and information in Mississippi, including maps, capacity, ordinances, and more in these areas..

Innovate Mississippi

04/27/20
Renewable Energy in Mississippi: Technologies & Markets.

Global Warming Impacts In Mississippi

04/27/20
The consequences of global warming have impacted public health, safety, the environment and the global economy for decades. NASA reports that 2000 to 2009 was the hottest decade ever recorded. Extreme temperatures and weather events…

Mississippi And Nuclear Energy

04/27/20
Mississippi is home to one nuclear power reactor that produces 95 percent of the state’s emission-free electricity. Nuclear energy facilities protect air quality and public health. Nuclear energy generates nearly 20 percent of our nation’s…

Climate Change

04/27/20
From road work to new buildings, construction projects are a constant for most Twin Cities residents. Soon, a new type of project is coming to St. Paul: seven small islands within Pig's Eye Lake.

Mississippi Solar

04/27/20
Data Current Through: Q4 2019

Mississippi State Profile And Energy Estimates

04/27/20
Located on the nation's Gulf Coast and bordered on the west by the river that shares its name, Mississippi has a substantial energy infrastructure. The state has many natural gas, crude oil, and refined product…

Noaa National Centers For Environmental Information

04/27/20
State Climate Summaries (Revised 2019): Mississippi

Preparing for Climate Change in Mississippi

04/27/20
Mississippi has not developed a statewide adaptation plan. Other resources from the Adaptation Clearinghouse, which have been developed by the state and localities to help communities prepare for climate change, are highlighted below.

ENERGY & NATURAL RESOURCES

04/27/20
MDA’s Energy and Natural Resources Division works with state policymakers and other stakeholders to advance a comprehensive energy policy for Mississippi and ensure the state is positioned for energy sector growth. The division also facilitates…

This Mississippi State Summary educates policymakers and the public about EERE investments and their positive impacts in Mississippi

04/27/20
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is pursuing an all-of- the-above approach to developing every source of American energy. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) leads DOE efforts to build a strong…

MORE NEWS

Analysis finds Renewables cheaper than all Southeast coal plants

By Maggie Shober   03/02/23  
Energy Innovation has released updated analysis comparing the cost of continuing to operate coal plants to replacing them with solar, wind, or batteries. The results are clear: continued reliance on coal is expensive, and each…
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Riverfront developments face obstacles, but the Mississippi River itself may be the biggest

By Eric Schmid   02/14/23  
Ideas for development along parts of the St. Louis riverfront have become more common in recent years.
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Mississippi River levels are dropping too low for barges to float

By Scott Dance   10/12/22  
The Mississippi River is flowing at its lowest level in at least a decade, and until rain relieves a worsening drought in the region, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to maintain water levels high enough to…
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Jackson’s Water Crisis Is a Climate Justice Wake-Up Call

By Alajandro De La Garza   09/15/22  
n Jackson, Miss., residents were already boiling their water for a month before their taps ran dry at the end of August. That’s when floodwaters from heavy rain overwhelmed the city’s fragile water treatment system,…
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Mississippi Crisis Highlights Climate Threat to Drinking Water Nationwide

By Christopher Flavelle and Others   09/01/22  
Flash floods, wildfires and hurricanes are easy to recognize as ravages of a fast-changing climate. But now, climate change has also emerged as a growing threat to clean, safe drinking water across the country.
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Floodwaters drain in Mississippi as Pearl River crests just below major flood stage; National Guard to distribute water

By John Bacon and Others   08/29/22  
The streets of Jackson will begin to drain Monday after days of heavy rain caused the Pearl River to crest just below the major flood stage. Experts predict the river will remain at a high…
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Statewide flooding continues this week. What can residents in south Mississippi expect?

By Lici Beveridge   08/28/22  
Some areas of Mississippi can still expect flooding, particularly along the Pearl, Big Black and Pascagoula rivers, even though the bulk of the heavy rains that have plagued the state for the last week has…
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Flooding prompts Mississippi nursing home to evacuate dozens of residents

By Judson Jones and Others   08/25/22  
Dozens of residents at a nursing home in the Mississippi town of Brandon had to be evacuated on school buses Wednesday after a slow-moving system brought rain across the South Wednesday drenching central parts of…
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New Mississippi rule requires utilities to pay low-income customers up front for solar installations

By Emma Penrod   07/14/22  
Regulators capped total annual rebate budgets at $10 million for Entergy Mississippi and $5 million for Mississippi Power Co. According to the new rule, at least 50% of the funds dedicated to the new program…
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Sustainability Matters: Ugg Debuts Sustainable Ready-to-Wear Capsule for Spring 2022 + More News

By FN Staff   02/17/22  
fter introducing sustainable footwear options, starting with the Plant Power sandals, Ugg has launched an eco-friendly apparel collection for spring ’22 called Organic Essentials. The nine-style capsule consists of casual T-shirts, leggings, dresses, tanks and…
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The market, not climate concerns, is driving Mississippi’s slow push for renewable energy

By Alex Rozier   02/04/22  
Mississippi, a state where natural gas dominates the energy supply, may soon be turning a corner in its transition to clean and renewable energy. But amid a global effort to reduce the future impacts of…
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EPA announces ‘bold’ action to monitor pollution in ‘Cancer Alley’

By Darryl Fears   01/26/22  
Two months after touring “environmental justice” communities in three southern states, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan on Wednesday announced bold steps to address complaints from residents about tainted drinking water, chemical plants near homes…
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AgriCapture completes largest ever cover cropping program in the Mississippi River Valley to improve soil health and fight climate change

01/13/22  
AgriCapture successfully implemented a 4,000-acre cover crop program after harvest in 2021. It is the largest ever cover cropping project of its kind in the Mississippi River Valley region. Cover crops are a key regenerative…
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A ‘Green’ Energy Project Leaves A Mississippi Town Gasping For Air

By Alexander C. Kaufman   12/20/21  
Carmella Wren-Causey knew something was wrong as soon as she returned to her hometown last year, a place where she’d slept on her grandmother’s screened porch to smell the sweet, crisp fragrance of longleaf pines…
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Catastrophic December tornadoes slam Mid-Mississippi Valley

By Bob Henson   12/11/21  
A severe weather outbreak in the mid-Mississippi Valley more than lived up to its well-predicted potential for strong tornadoes on Friday, December 10, taking lives and raking landscapes from Arkansas to Illinois. The worst toll…
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Impoverished communities pay for worsening impacts of climate change: Experts

By Kiara Alfonseca   11/06/21  
Across the small town of Gloster, Mississippi, passersby can still see remnants of the damage caused by Tropical Storm Claudette and Hurricane Ida: tarps on roofs, fallen trees, damaged cars and homes hit hard by…
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‘There’s going to be no fishing.’ Can Mississippi marshes be saved from sea level rise?

By Anita Lee   10/25/21  
Chris Lagarde and David Resor knew a man-made canal was widening in the Hancock County marsh, but they had no idea just how much marsh had been lost over two decade ....
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The Gassing Of Satartia

By Dan Zegart   08/26/21  
A CO2 pipeline in Mississippi ruptured last year, sickening dozens of people. What does it forecast for the massive proposed buildout of pipelines across the U.S.?
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City breaks ground on $68 million expansion of waste water treatment facility

By Olivia Herken   05/18/21  
The roughly $68 million expansion at the La Crosse Isle La Plume Wastewater Treatment Facility has officially begun, marking the start of a project that aims to make the city’s waste operations more environmentally and…
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Enbridge causes conflict, climate change

By Elise Rosky   05/15/21  
There is a large tar sands pipeline currently being constructed from Canada through the midwest, ending at Lake Superior in Superior, Wisconsin. It is called the Line 3 replacement project, but in reality it is…
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Starkville Utilities Customers to Benefit from Clean Renewable Energy

04/30/21  
Local renewable energy will soon be available as Starkville Utilities makes the City of Starkville the first municipality in Mississippi to sign a Tennessee Valley Authority Green Invest agreement.
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More Coal Cuts—AEP, Mississippi Power Detail Closures

By Darrell Proctor   04/23/21  
American Electric Power (AEP), which in 2019 reached an agreement to close Unit 1 of the two-unit, 2.6-GW coal-fired Rockport power plant in Indiana, has now announced a plan to close Unit 2 of the…
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Mississippi AG joins lawsuit to challenge Biden Administration’s executive order

04/22/21  
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, along with nine state attorneys general, are suing to prevent the Biden Administration from carrying out an executive order. In a recent executive order, President Joe Biden established a “working…
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Mississippi Power to retire 976 MW of fossil fuels by 2027

By Lulia Gheorghiu   04/20/21  
Mississippi Power plans to retire the majority of its fossil steam fleet, the utility announced in a Friday filing of its 2021 integrated resource plan (IRP).
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Crisis in Jackson Shows Why Water Investments Are Needed Now

By Kate Zerrenner   03/22/21  
Last week, more than a month after storms crippled the water system in the city, Jackson, Mississippi lifted its boil water notice. What on the surface appear to be a precautionary measure takes on a…
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Jackson receives $475k grant to combat climate change in poor communities

By Anthony Warren   02/09/21  
Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba has announced that the city has received a $475,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to help mitigate the effects of climate change on poor communities. The mayor made…
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Jackson hires consultants to help implement climate change plan

By Anthony Warren   01/19/21  
A team of experts from across the country could help Jackson’s poorest residents better deal with the effects of climate change. On Tuesday, the Jackson City Council approved bringing on seven consultants/consulting firms to help…
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Partners Working Together To Help Landowners Restore And Manage Longleaf Pine Forests In Mississippi And Alabama

01/06/21  
Around Lucedale, Mississippi, an unusual mix of partners is working together to restore one of the South’s iconic forests. The Longleaf Alliance (LLA), Wildlife Mississippi, the Mississippi Forestry Association, Enviva, and other partners are working…
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Mississippi PSC Orders Major Reductions in Power Generation

12/17/20  
Today the Mississippi PSC held a special meeting and unanimously approved a new order in Docket No. 2018-AD-145, governing Mississippi Power Company’s Reserve Margin Plan.
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Smart home neighbourhood to be built in Mississippi

By Jonathan Spencer Jones   12/04/20  
Mississippi Power and Southern Company are partnering to build a smart home neighbourhood in Mississippi’s Lauderdale County. The new smart neighbourhood coming on Mississippi’s eastern border is to feature exclusively the Tesla solar roof –…
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Mississippi Power plans ‘smart neighborhood’ with Tesla batteries, Solar Roofs

By Cailin Crowe   12/01/20  
Mississippi Power and Tesla partnered earlier this summer to install the state's first Tesla Solar Roof on a Habitat for Humanity home in nearby Hattiesburg, MS. The roof took under three days to be installed…
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POWERGEN+ on tap with renewables, energy storage and hydrogen

11/11/20  
POWERGEN+ returns this morning with sessions featuring experts discussing the latest and greatest in state regulation and renewable policies, community solar, hydrogen adoption and energy storage options. The monthly virtual series, enacted during this era…
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Senate 2020: In Mississippi, a Surprisingly Close Race For a Trump-Tied Promoter of Fossil Fuels

By James Bruggers   10/20/20  
Given how much Mississippi has to lose from rising seas, more dangerous  hurricanes, flooding and drought, climate change might reasonably be a  top voting issue. But in this Gulf Coast state that borders on the…
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Trump Administration Goes After Clean Water Act

By Olivia Dorothy   10/16/20  
Today, the Trump Administration officially put forward a proposal to build the Yazoo Pumps – a shockingly irresponsible project that will put tens of thousands of people at risk, threaten the integrity of the Clean…
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The Mississippi drawdown showed us what a free-flowing river would be like

By Jack Distel   10/13/20  
People wandered the Mississippi River bottom Monday after the river was lowered to allow inspection of the lock and dams. Recently, the Lower St. Anthony Falls lock and dam was opened and the Mississippi River’s…
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Mississippi River already seeing impact on industry, recreation from climate change

By John Kruse   10/11/20  
The Mississippi River is changing, and it’s only making towboat captain Jeremy Runde’s job all the harder. For 28-day stretches, Runde, a resident of Dubuque, is responsible for navigating a craft the size of three…
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How the expanding renewable fuel market brings air pollution, noise, and reduced biodiversity to Black and low-wealth communities

By Danielle Purifoy   10/05/20  
As the wood pellet industry continues to grow across the South, Enviva has targeted Alabama and Mississippi for future expansion. The company is building facilities producing significantly larger quantities of wood pellets for export through…
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East Biloxi Loses Iconic Climate Activist

By Isabelle Taft   10/03/20  
Hurricane Katrina destroyed Sharon Hanshaw’s home and the salon she had owned and operated for 21 years. Standing on Bayview Avenue in East Biloxi not long after the storm, Hanshaw gestured towards one of the…
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Major solar projects coming to Hancock, Clarke counties

By Lisa Monti   09/28/20  
Construction of two large solar panel facilities will begin soon at sites in Hancock and Clarke counties. The two electric generating stations, each costing $80 million, will sell wholesale power to Mississippi Power which in…
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Can Gas-Fired Power Plants Coexist With a Net-Zero Target? Yes, Southern Company Insists

By Jeff St. John   09/23/20  
Southern Company intends to test the proposition that a U.S. utility can reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 while still keeping natural gas as a central part of its business, both to generate electricity and…
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Corps seeks comment on environmental effects of $2 billion Mississippi River levee work

By Mark Schleifstein   09/22/20  
The Army Corps of Engineers has scheduled two virtual public meetings on its environmental assessment of a $2 billion plan to elevate levees and build stronger floodwalls along the Mississippi River from Missouri to the…
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Mississippi Sierra Club: Green Power Did Not Cause California Blackouts

By Wayne Lusvardi   09/18/20  
Expansion of solar power in nearby states, not California, resulted in a lack of available exportable power and rolling blackouts.Louis Miller, head of the Mississippi Sierra Club, concludes in “Let’s Not Black Out the Facts…
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Cities With the Highest Flood Risk in Every State

By Andrew Lisa   08/23/20  
Floods accounted for three of the 14 natural disasters that caused at least $1 billion in damage in the United States in 2019. In total, flooding impacted 14 million Americans last year and put another…
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Morning Brief: Mississippi approves two 78.5-MW PV projects, U of I solar construction starts

By Thomas R Machnitzki   08/07/20  
$80 million solar facilities approved for two Mississippi counties: Public Service Commission Chairman Dane Maxwell drafted orders that would allow developers of the Moonshot Solar project in Hancock County and the Cane Creek Solar project…
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Southern Company Pledges Net Zero Emissions By 2050 But Doubles Down On Fossil Fuels

By Daniel Tait   05/28/20  
Southern Company unveiled an updated “net-zero” carbon goal yesterday at its Annual Meeting which relies heavily on negative emissions to enable continued investment in fossil fuels such as coal and gas. Southern’s goal stands in…
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New data indicates the Mississippi Delta is on borrowed time

By Cathleen O'grady   05/28/20  
Since 1932, coastal wetlands in Louisiana have declined by about 25 percent. At its fastest, the decline was around one football field lost every 34 minutes; at its slowest, every 100 minutes.
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Farmers Must Adapt as U.S. Corn Belt Shifts Northward

By Daniel Cusick   05/26/20  
Farmers have been warned for years that climate change will disrupt growing conditions and crop yields. Pennsylvania State University researchers released findings this week suggesting those changes could come within the lifetimes of many current…
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Mississippi Delta Marshes May Soon Be Gone Due to Climate Change

05/26/20  
The remaining marshes in Mississippi Delta may not be able to withstand the impacts of sea-level rise and may be gone in the years to come. The study revealed that 2,000 square miles (5,000 km2)…
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How some Mississippi teens are saving their town from climate change

By Rebecca Klein   05/23/20  
The teens of Duck Hill, Mississippi, aren’t the teens you see on television protesting the impact of climate change. They’re not missing school to rally in the streets. But they know better than most how…
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A Flood of Catastrophe: How a Warming Climate and the Bonnet Carré Spillway Threaten the Survival of Coast Fishermen

By Alex Rozier   04/29/20  
On a warm, sunny September morning, bait salesman Roscoe Liebig scanned the harbor’s vacant piers and shook his head in disgust. Liebig recalled his usual surroundings: a full parking lot, a line of fishermen hooking…
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