GULFPORT, Miss. – Mississippi Power has more than 1,000 power restoration crew members ready to respond immediately to power outages anticipated from Hurricane Isaac.

“Our electrical system is robust and our crews are well-prepared to respond to damage to our system,” said Mississippi Power Storm Director Randall Pinkston. “We’re ready to implement our storm-tested restoration plan and work around the clock to restore electric service to all customers who can receive it.”

Additional workers from Mississippi Power’s sister company, Georgia Power, and mutual assistance crews are ready to aid in the restoration effort.

“We’re bringing in crews who have proven experience in emergency restoration operations,” said Pinkston.

Generator safety
Customers planning to use a portable generator need to know how to use them safely. That knowledge could save a life. While generators can provide a great service during outages, if improperly installed or used, the energy produced by the generator can flow into the home or out on the distribution line – an occurrence known as backfeeding.

“The possibility of backfeeding poses life-threatening danger to the homeowner, the home and the linemen working on lines,” said Pinkston. “Before operating your generator, for your safety and the crews working restoration, follow the manufacturer’s guidelines.”

• Never try to power the house wiring by plugging the generator into a wall outlet.
• Keep the generator dry and do not use in rain or wet conditions. To protect from moisture, operate it on a dry surface under an open, canopy-like structure. Dry your hands if wet before touching the generator.
• Plug appliances directly into the generator. Or, use a heavy duty, outdoor-rated extension cord that is rated (in watts or amps) at least equal to the sum of the connected appliance loads. Check that the entire cord is free of cuts or tears and that the plug has all three prongs, especially a grounding pin.
• For power outages, permanently installed stationary generators are better suited for providing backup power to the home. Even a properly connected portable generator can become overloaded. This may result in overheating or stressing the generator components, possibly leading to a generator failure.

Customer outage reporting
Customers should report outages with the company’s automated reporting system at 1-800-ITS-DARK (1-800-487-3275). Also, representatives at our Customer Service Center are available 24 hours, 7 days a week at 1-800-532-1502.

Additional customer information
Local customer service offices in Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Pearl River, Stone, George and Greene counties will be closed on Wednesday. Offices are expected to reopen for normal business hours on Thursday.

Please be patient. Don’t stop crews to report an outage or ask for information. Before neighborhood lines can be worked on, crews must first repair larger lines that bring power to neighborhoods.

Customers can follow updates on Mississippi Power’s Facebook page or on Twitter @MS_Power and @MPCstorm.

Mississippi Power, a Southern Company subsidiary, serves approximately 186,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties.

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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”), effects of the appeal to the Mississippi Supreme Court, costs of construction of the Kemper IGCC facility and related customer price impacts as well as the future financial condition of Mississippi Power.  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; 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 PSC approvals, potential U.S. Department of Energy loan guarantees, the South Mississippi Electric Power Association purchase decision, utilization of investment tax credits, and the outcome of further proceedings regarding the PSC’s issuance of the certificate of public convenience and necessity; the ability of counterparties of Mississippi Power to make payments as and when due and to perform as required; interest rate fluctuations and financial market conditions and the results of financing efforts, including Mississippi Power’s credit ratings; and the impacts of any potential U.S. credit rating
downgrade or other sovereign financial issues, including impacts on interest rates, access to capital markets, impacts on currency exchange rates, counterparty performance, and the economy in general, as well as potential impacts on the availability or benefits of proposed U.S. Department of Energy loan guarantees. Mississippi Power expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking information.