Photo: Northern District Public Service Commissioner Chris Brown during a campaign stop near Hernando in 2023. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
July 11 – Mississippi state officials plan to investigate the Holly Springs Utility Department (HSUD), beset by lengthy service issues to its customers over the past several months into years. Northern District PSC Commissioner Chris Brown announced the investigation on Thursday.
Holly Springs residents have long complained about issues with the utility’s electric services for months. Some have even gone as far as to purchase generators because of frustrations with HSUD. Holly Springs residents were still without a month after an ice storm in 2023.
Brown is invoking authority the Commission received from Senate Bill 2453, introduced by state Sen. Neil Whaley, with DeSoto County Sens. Kevin Blackwell (R-Southaven) and Dr. David Parker (R-Olive Branch) helping to sponsor. The bill was signed by Gov. Tate Reeves in April.
According to the measure, The Public Service Commission now has the authority to “cancel a municipality’s certificate to provide service greater than one mile outside its corporate boundaries upon a finding that the municipality did not provide reasonably adequate service.”
Hundreds of HSUD customers again lost power after a late-night rain storm came through the area Wednesday night.
The Tennessee Valley Authority provides electricity to HSUD and it has received over more than 1,000 complaints about the utility. TVA has no regulatory power on HSUD but has done its own investigation. TVA has determined “operational and financial practices that needed to be addressed.”
