Section 77-3-101 - Legislative determinations and declarations of policyThe Legislature finds, determines and declares the following to be in the public interest and the policy of the State of Mississippi:
(a) To promote and foster the prudent, timely expansion and construction of, and long-term availability of, adequate and appropriate levels of electric generation by electric public utilities, as described in Section 77-3-3(d) (i), with diversity as to the means of such generation and as to the sources of fuel for such generation, including nuclear fuel, coal and other reliable fuel sources;(b) That such availability is essential to the orderly and effective operation of a reliable electric system in this state and will be vital to economic stability and growth within the State of Mississippi and to the public interest, and that the generation and related operations of electric public utilities are affected with the public interest;(c) That new base load electric generating technologies are and will continue to be important in the planning and development of public utility electric generation, and that the State should take advantage of advances in nuclear, coal and other technologies, including technologies that reduce or minimize, or that facilitate the future reduction or minimization of, regulated air emissions;(d) To take advantage of financial and other incentives afforded and provided by the federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 for the construction of certain electric generating facilities and any federal or state legislative or other incentives that may from time to time become available and to require that all such incentives be utilized for the benefit of such generating facilities;(e) To promote and foster economic development; and(f) To promote and foster the State of Mississippi's energy independence by encouraging the development and utilization of fuel sources derived from the State of Mississippi's natural resources. Laws, 2008, ch. 531, § 1, eff. 5/9/2008.