Dive Brief:

• On Tuesday, Mississippi regulators told Southern Company unit Mississippi Power that it needs to offer evidence that it has been prudent in spending an estimated $4.75 billion on the 582-megawatt integrated-gasification combined cycle project in Kemper County.
• A hearing was set for May of 2014, the month that the Kemper plant was supposed to go online. But Mississippi Power said earlier this month that it would not be ready for commercial operation by then. The company blamed abnormally wet weather and poor labor productivity for cost overruns that could be approaching $1.5 billion. The plant is designed to capture 65% of its carbon dioxide emissions.

Dive Insight: 

Mississippi's three-member Public Service Commission is elected to four year-terms. Its immediate concern is dealing with a growing public outcry over the Kemper plant's escalating costs and their effect on electricity rates. Democrat Brandon Presley—yes, a cousin of Elvis—has been the most vocal critic of Kemper on the commission.