Miss. Power announces delay, additional cost for Kemper County plant

JACKSON, Mississippi (AP)

— Mississippi Power Co. says it will take at least another month to put into operation the power plant it’s building in Kemper County.

Atlanta-based Southern Co., the parent of the electrical utility, announced Monday that it’s pushing back the completion date from Sept. 30 to Oct. 31.

Mississippi Power spokesman Jeff Shepard says the extension will increase the cost of the plant by another $43 million, but says the company will absorb those costs. Southern Co. says it needs time to modify equipment and reach sustained operations.

The increase pushes the total cost of the plant above $6.8 billion.

The plant and associated coal mine were originally supposed to cost $2.9 billion at most, and earliest estimates were lower. Customers could be asked to pay as much as $4.2 billion.