Two billion reasons why Mississippi and Entergy are proving data centers can provide power customers real savings

• The Magnolia State is showing how high tech and households can thrive on the same power grid, improving the lives of Mississippians today and for generations to come.

Concerns about rising electricity bills and overtaxed grids have dominated the national data center conversation, but Mississippi is showing that they can actually strengthen grid reliability and help keep electricity prices down for all customers. So much so that the Trump Administration recently highlighted Entergy as a model for how utilities can work with tech companies to improve reliability and affordability. 

Entergy Mississippi customers will see more than $2 billion in projected savings over the next 20 years thanks to the data center projects we are powering. The tech giant behind the largest of the projects, Amazon, recently announced that they are doubling their investment in our state, including expanding their data center operations in Madison County and adding a new $1 billion-project in Clinton. They are also building a data center in Vicksburg. These projects are expected to create thousands of jobs and billions in tax revenue and will be supported by grid investments we had already planned and budgeted for that will strengthen reliability for all our customers across the 45 counties we serve.  

Thanks to the direction and engagement of Governor Reeves, the Mississippi Legislature and the Mississippi Public Service Commission, these large technology customers are helping to pay the cost of needed power grid maintenance and upgrades that would otherwise have been borne by our existing customers. During a rising cost environment, when we are having to replace two half-century old power plants with new units, securing such relief right now is perfect timing for our residential and small commercial customers.

Entergy is doing its part to protect customers, too. Our Fair Share Plus pledge outlines how we’re ensuring tech companies pay their fair share of the cost to power their facilities plus provide added benefits for our communities. For example, as part of our agreement with Amazon, they’ve committed to investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in new career and technical education programs for local grade schools, grants for projects that improve the lives of Mississippians in underserved communities, free workforce development programs for adults, and more. We also require prepayments, multiyear contracts, and financial safeguards so other customers don’t shoulder their project risks. 

Entergy Mississippi’s residential rates are already 20% below national average, and the new revenue from these large commercial projects is allowing us to invest an additional $300 million more in grid improvements with the goal of cutting power outages 50% within five years – at no additional cost to customers – through our Superpower Mississippi plan.

We’re ensuring that data centers will have a positive impact on our customers’ bills, but unfortunately, electricity costs were already rising long before data centers arrived, and they are projected to continue rising nationwide because of factors like inflation, fuel price volatility, supply-chain disruptions, and the need to replace infrastructure. 

We can ease these bills impacts by adding new large customers like Amazon to help pick up the tab on a larger share of the cost of grid maintenance and upgrades that residential and small business customers would otherwise have had to pay for alone. Entergy Mississippi customers’ bills will be lower than they otherwise would have been thanks to our data center service agreements.

The grid investments and upgrades to support data centers and improve reliability for all our customers also help attract even more new business, as evidenced by the historic levels of new economic success our state has seen in the last two years – more than $52 billion in capital investment and counting. These projects boost Mississippi’s international profile, bring new local jobs and resources, and help keep power bills more affordable.

The U.S. is competing in a global race for AI dominance, and supporting domestic data centers will help us win it while providing our communities with lower long term energy costs, stronger infrastructure, and new economic opportunities. Our state is showing how high tech and households can thrive on the same power grid, improving the lives of Mississippians today and for generations to come.