Gulfport, Miss. – As Mississippi Power enters peak construction at its state-of-the-art Kemper County energy facility, another heavy haul of environmental emission controls equipment began its trip to the plant site this morning.

Weighing over 1 million pounds each, the first two of four Particulate Control Devices (PCDs) are travelling approximately 70 miles from Bigbee Valley, Miss., to the plant site. The other two PCDs are scheduled to be delivered to the site next week.

The PCD filters remove any remaining particulates after locally mined lignite is gasified, producing a cleaner product and further reducing the plant’s environmental footprint.

“These components will play a vital role in delivering clean, safe, made-in-Mississippi energy to Mississippi Power customers,” said Tommy Anderson, vice president of generation development. “We’re less than 16 months from commercial operation and this facility will utilize the cleanest technology available.”

The delivery of this equipment requires a skilled, coordinated effort between the Mississippi Department of Transportation, the Kemper County Sheriff’s Department, the City of DeKalb, Tennessee Valley Authority, 4-County Electric Power Association, East Mississippi Electric Power Association, Burkhalter Rigging and Barnhart Crane and Rigging Company.

More than 3,000 workers are currently on-site. Nearly 300 companies from across Mississippi have contributed manpower, services or products to the project.

The project, which is nearly 75 percent complete, is on schedule to be completed by May 2014.
Mississippi Power, a Southern Company subsidiary, serves approximately 186,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties with rates below the national average.

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Certain information contained in this release is forward-looking information based on current expectations and plans that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information includes, among other things, statements concerning completion of the Kemper integrated coal gasification combined cycle facility (“Kemper IGCC”).  Mississippi Power cautions that there are certain factors that can cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information that has been provided. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is not a guarantee of future performance and is subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the control of Mississippi Power; accordingly, there can be no assurance that such suggested results will be realized. The following factors, in addition to those discussed in Mississippi Power’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, and subsequent securities filings, could cause actual results to differ materially from management expectations as suggested by such forward-looking information: the impact of recent and future federal and state regulatory changes, as well as changes in application of existing laws and regulations; current and future litigation, regulatory investigations, proceedings, or inquiries; available sources and costs of fuels; ability to control costs and avoid cost overruns during the development and construction of facilities, which includes projects involving facility designs that have not been finalized or previously constructed; advances in technology; state and federal rate regulations and the impact of pending and future rate cases and negotiations, including rate actions relating to fuel and other cost recovery mechanisms; regulatory approvals and actions related to the Kemper IGCC, including Mississippi Public Service Commission (“PSC”) approvals, potential U.S. Department of Energy loan guarantees, the South Mississippi Electric Power Association purchase decision, satisfaction of requirements to utilize investment tax credits and grants, and the outcome of any further proceedings regarding the PSC’s issuance of the certificate of public convenience and necessity; and the ability of counterparties of Mississippi Power to make payments as and when due and to perform as required. Mississippi Power expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking information.