Concerned that the Mississippi Supreme Court's mid-March decision to throw out the regulatory approval the state's Public Service Commission had granted Mississippi Power's $2.4 billion-plus integrated gasification combined-cycle project nearly two years ago, the PSC held a special meeting March 30 at which two of its three members voted to grant the project a "temporary" certificate.

In a written order issued immediately after the PSC meeting, Chairman Leonard Betz and Vice Chairman Lynn Posey said that the action was needed for Mississippi Power to continue constructing the 582-MW IGCC project, which is about 30% complete and on which the utility has spent about $1.1 billion.