Mississippi Power commemorates centennial and powering progress for 100 years

Gulfport, Miss. – Mississippi Power is commemorating its centennial on Jan. 1 after spending the last century powering progress across the state. The company’s commitment to safety, service, reliability and innovation has brightened and strengthened communities since 1925.

“We’d like to thank our customers for allowing us to serve them over the last century,” said Mississippi Power President and CEO Anthony Wilson. “This centennial acts as a humbling reminder of the privilege and responsibility to serve our customers. After 100 years, we remain committed to this service and continuing to drive growth in the state.”

A Century of Service

• Jan. 1, 1925, marked the first day of operations serving about 5,500 customers along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
• The company withstood the Great Depression and World War II and opened its first generating facility, Plant Eaton, in Petal, in the summer of 1945.
• Today, the company serves customers throughout Southeast Mississippi.
• Mississippi Power is an industry leader in safety and reliability and plays a critical role in the state’s workforce development and economic development. 

Rebuilding Stronger

• Mississippi Power is known for expert storm-tested storm restoration in Mississippi and across the United States.
• The company is known for its response to two of the worst storms to impact the United States – Hurricanes Camille and Katrina. The company received the highest utility award from the Edison Electric Institute for its heroic restorations after each of those storms.
• Notably, Mississippi Power’s Hurricane Katrina response of 12,000 resources restored service to all who could receive power in 12 days.
• Throughout the company’s history, Mississippi Power has stood ready to help neighbors in need for hundreds of other storms including tornados, tropical systems and ice storms.

Powering Progress

• In 1927, CEO Barney Eaton created a New Industries Division, now the company’s Economic Development department, the oldest such organization in Mississippi.  
• From the electric boom in the 1960s to implementing smart technologies and renewable energy resources, Mississippi Power remains at the forefront of supporting new technology that benefit Mississippi’s communities.
• Valued partnerships with Coast Transit Authority and Forrest County Agricultural High School brought the first electric public transportation bus and first electric school bus in Mississippi.
• A champion of workforce development, Mississippi Power partners with universities and colleges across the state to build a highly trained energy industry workforce.

Looking Forward

• Mississippi Power is strengthening the power delivery system to increase resiliency against extreme weather conditions, including replacing wooden poles with concrete and steel poles.
• More than 95% of Mississippi Power customers are now behind an automated self-healing network that isolates and restores outages, reducing overall outage times for customers.
• During Mississippi Power’s centennial year, the company will continue to invest in the community through employee service projects and contributions.  
• In 2024, employee volunteers completed more than 110 service projects totaling more than 4,500 hours. The Mississippi Power Foundation also contributed nearly $2 million to support education, economic development and environmental stewardship initiatives in the company’s service area and across Mississippi.
• With its parent company, Southern Company, Mississippi Power will continue to invest in renewable energy, smart grids, battery storage, electric vehicle infrastructure and more to ensure a cleaner and more energy efficient future for customers.

For more information on the company’s centennial, please contact Company Spokeswoman Kaila Moran Griffith on the 24/7 media line 228-861-5543.

Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), produces safe, reliable and affordable energy for more than 192,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties. The company has been recognized with the Community Partner Impact Award from the Center for Energy Workforce Development for its innovative and ongoing efforts to build a diverse workforce. For outstanding storm response, the company was honored with by the Edison Electric Institute with an Emergency Response Award.

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