Here are some nuggets from Brent Baileys 25 x 25 report on the status of energy in MS: 1) Energy Cost Rankings WalletHub has identified the Most & Least Energy-Expensive States in which to live and do business. July tends to be the hottest month of the year in the contiguous U.S., and as a result it has the highest energy consumption. In the U.S., 7.1 percent of the average consumer’s total income is spent on energy costs, including fuel, natural gas and electricity. Given that Mississippi’s average consumer’s total income is the lowest in the nation, energy costs are generally a larger percentage of our monthly expenditures. According to WalletHub’s study, Mississippi ranked 50th and is the most energy-expensive state other than Hawaii. The study demonstrates that lower prices don’t always equate with lower costs, as consumption is a key determinant in the total amount of an energy bill. States like Mississippi, where energy efficiency and conservation has NOT historically been an objective of utilities and government regulators, monthly energy costs can be sky high. That is because Mississippians are one of the highest consumers of electricity per person in the nation. Also, while Mississippi has some of the cheapest gasoline prices in the nation, Mississippi still ranks 50th in monthly gasoline consumption costs. See the report HERE. The implementation of the various utility Quick Start Plans will help Mississippians reduce their energy bills and hopefully help Mississippi move off the bottom of this list. 2)The MPSC’s proposed rules for net metering and interconnection standards are currently undergoing an Economic Impact Statement (EIS) review by Synapse Energy. The proposed rule and EIS will be released most likely in early 2015. This new rule will not only give consumers more choices and options, it will also jump-start local economic development and job creation. And we sorely need job creation in the state as you may have seen that the latest Labor Department statistics show that Mississippis unemployment rate rose to worst in the nation at 7.9 percent in June.
Posted on: Mon, 21 Jul 2014 22:18:13 +0000