JACKSON, Miss.–The Mississippi Public Service Commission is trying to get an extension of the rate incentives for small businesses in the state.
Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley on Monday encouraged Mississippi’s major electric and gas utilities to extend Small Business Rate Incentives for another year through 2014.
These incentives sometimes waive security deposits for gas and electricity for small businesses and also can reduce their rates for the first couple of years.
“Since the Commission approved the programs for the five major Mississippi utilities, over 1,000 small businesses have seen savings of over $700,000 in overhead costs; money that can now be invested in creating new jobs and growing the Mississippi economy,” Presley said.
Presley told News Mississippi that the majority of businesses that this helps local businesses on “Main St.” get on their feet and possibly hire other local people in the process.
“These small business owners are the backbone of our state’s economy. They are the folks at your service station, local diner and Main Street businesses,” said Presley. “They have no lobbyists, yet they are, many times, the ones putting people to work. I want to make sure they get help doing that.”
He will ask the full Commission for a formal request to extend the riders at the Commission’s September meeting and he told News Mississippi he fully expects the incentives to be renewed for the next year.
