Mississippi Awarded Phase Two of DOE Energizing Rural Communities Prize

On September 18, 2024, Blue Mountain, Mississippi was announced as one of 33 communities awarded funding through Phase Two of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations Energizing Rural Communities Prize. In 2023, NASEO, the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA), and a local municipal utility New Albany, Light, Gas, and Water were awarded funding under Phase One to facilitate an innovative partnership among the State Energy Office, municipal utility, local government, and community to explore the potential of deploying a clean energy microgrid in Blue Mountain to address resilience and reliability concerns. Over the past year, the project team hosted several local meetings to inform the community about the proposed project, developed a video detailing energy reliability challenges faced by Blue Mountain and the benefit of a microgrid, and identified next steps for moving the project forward. Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) also joined as a project partner. Phase Two funding will help New Albany, Light, Gas, and Water develop and issue a solicitation to conduct a feasibility study for the clean energy microgrid in Blue Mountain. The feasibility study will provide valuable data and information on cost, location, permitting, size, and other considerations. For more information on the project, see the NASEO website here and the list of other prize winners here.