Bill Signed to Extend Natural Gas Service in Union County

UNION COUNTY, Miss. — Today, Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley announced further progress in the effort to bring natural gas service to rural and unserved parts of the state. Yesterday, a bill authorizing extensions of the City of New Albany’s natural gas system into unserved parts of Union and Marshall Counties was signed by Governor Phil Bryant.

The legislation is a precondition to service when a city utility wishes to expand five miles outside of its city limits. Prior to the legislation’s introduction, Presley met with New Albany and county officials to address the lack of service throughout much of Union and Marshall Counties as part of his push for more service across the state.

“I am very grateful to the City of New Albany, Union and Marshall County Boards of Supervisors, and the Legislators involved for all of their hard work. This bill is tangible proof that elected officers of this state are being responsive to their constituents’ demand for energy options. Folks in rural Mississippi deserve the same choice of energy as people living in downtown Jackson,” said Commissioner Presley. “This is the first step to bringing natural gas to these areas of Union and Marshall Counties but it is good to have this hurdle crossed.”

Presley has been the major driver in recent Commission initiatives to make natural gas a viable option for currently unserved customers. From the Commission’s Zap the Gap program for gas, which provides utilities with a database of customers who would sign up for service if it were available, to large utilities’ “Supplemental Growth” programs, which approve funding to make expansion economical, Presley has made the issue a central theme of the work of the Commission.

Individuals wishing to receive natural gas service in unserved areas should contact the Public Service Commission at 1-800-637-7722 or 1-800-356-6428 or visit www.psc.state.ms.us/NaturalGas/