PSC won’t issue opinion on ‘hypothetical’ electrical plant at proposed tech site

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) — The state’s utility regulatory agency won’t rule on whether a Jackson developer can build a natural gas power plant at a proposed tech site.

On Friday, the Mississippi Public Service Commission denied a request from Prado AI to issue an opinion on building a 350-megawatt plant at a property in Ridgeland.

[READ: Jackson developer seeks PSC ruling for electric plant at proposed tech site]

Prado AI says the plant would power an AI data center and AI semiconductor plant at the site, without putting an additional burden on the grid.

Entergy Mississippi and other providers opposed the idea.

Commissioners made the decision, saying Prado AI failed to provide enough information for them to make a decision on a request they say is “premature and primarily hypothetical.”

“Entering an opinion at this juncture could adversely affect the interests of the state or the commission in any such litigation or adjudication that may be reasonably expected to arise,” members wrote.

The commission made its decision after hearing from the Public Utilities Staff, which said it could not make a recommendation to issue a “blanket opinion that [would] have far-reaching implications for other petitions before [the] commission.”

The staff also pointed out that Prado AI’s request mixed questions of law and fact, and that the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office declined to provide an opinion when the staff reached out.

“Prado AI was propounded data requests regarding many factual variables, including who Prado AI intends to operate its power generation facility, details regarding the tentative lease agreements with purported future tenants, and future certifications with FERC. Prado AI objected to these and other data requests as ‘premature and speculative,’” the staff wrote.

“Accordingly, staff concludes that the facts set forth in this docket are insufficient to reach a legal conclusion.”

Manager Gabriel Prado couldn’t be reached for comment.

Want more WLBT news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please click here to report it and include the headline of the story in your email.