Every four years, Minn. Stat. 216C.18 obliges the Department of Commerce to issue a report on energy issues and information for the state. Summary of key energy policy strategies: Encourage coal-fired generation facilities to convert to less polluting fuels or to install state-of-the-art emissions control technologies; Enhance the state and region’s energy delivery infrastructure to assure reliability and provide access for electricity from low-cost and/or environmentally superior sources; Support state conservation programs; Reduce regulatory and government barriers—The Department believes that state regulatory requirements for new energy infrastructure investments should be sufficient to weed out bad projects from good but should not act as a barrier to critical infrastructure investments.

In January of 2010, the Mississippi Public Service Commission (PSC) opened a rulemaking docket to investigate the development and implementation of energy efficiency programs and standards. In July 2013, the PSC issued Energy Efficiency and Conservation Rule 29 requiring electric and gas utilities to implement energy efficiency programs and standards under the Commission’s service jurisdiction. Rule 29 required gas utilities serving more than 25,000 customers (meters) to file Quick Start Plans with the Commission within six months from the date of the order (July 11, 2013). Quick Start Plans would include items such as customer education programs, energy audits and evaluations, rebates or other incentives on high-efficiency appliances, retrofitting homes and methods small businesses and industrial facilities can optimize energy efficiency. The new service rule is intended to promote the efficient use and conservation natural gas. All gas utilities, regardless of size, must file Comprehensive Portfolio Plans with the Commission. These Plans must cover at least one year and may cover up to three years. Included in this order is a section allowing utilities to earn a return on energy efficiency investments through a shared savings or other performance based incentive mechanism to make these investments more like other investments on which utilities earn a return (Section 106 on page 10). Gas utilities filed their Quick Start applications with the PSC on January 11, 2014. (Docket No. 2010-AD-2) These programs were approved by the PSC in June 2014.

On February 3, 2013, Atmos Energy Corporation proposed a Supplemental Growth Rider (SGR) to support economic development and job creation by providing the incentive to extend gas service to projects previously viewed as economically infeasible. Atmos proposed to invest $5,000,000 annually in such projects in return for being allowed to earn a supplemental return on equity (ROE) of 3% on this investment, in addition to the ROE provided for in Atmos’ annual Stable Rate Evaluation. This program was approved on July 11, 2013. On July 26, 2013, CenterPoint filed a Notice of Intent to establish a Supplemental Growth Rider ("Rider SG"). Rider SG is designed to encourage economic development and job creation in Mississippi by providing an incentive for CenterPoint to extend gas service for major commercial, industrial and manufacturing sites that are not otherwise economically feasible for CenterPoint to fund. CenterPoint is authorized to invest up to $5,000,000.00 annually in Mississippi, without prior Mississippi Public Service Commission ("Commission") approval, to extend gas service for major commercial, industrial and manufacturing projects deemed otherwise economically infeasible. These invested funds will be in addition to CenterPoint's normal capital budget for Mississippi. CenterPoint will select the projects based upon their potential for economic development. CenterPoint will consult with the Mississippi Development Authority ("MDA"), the Commission and the MPUS in selecting the projects for use of the supplemental growth funds, however, prior approval by MDA, the Commission, or the MPUS is not required. This filing was approved in October of 2013.

CenterPoint utilizes a rate stabilization mechanism (RRA Plan) to change its rates annually to reflect higher capital investment (rate base) and higher O&M costs relating to pipeline safety and other factors. For each twelve-month period ending December 31, a Commission determination shall be made pursuant to this RRA Plan as to whether the Company’s revenue should be increased, decreased or left unchanged. On September 8, 2015, the Mississippi Public Service Commission approved a stipulation which approved Atmos Energy’s proposal to establish a long term system integrity plan and accelerate an investment program to make its system safer and ensure full compliance with federal (DOT/PHMSA) pipeline safety directives. The docket involved a comprehensive review of Atmos Energy’s planned system integrity spending over the next 10 years and projected rate impact. Among the key provisions approved: o A rigorous annual review of Atmos Energy’s proposed system integrity projects for the next fiscal year and annual rate impact, including o Project spending o Project objective and regulatory requirement being met o Start and completion dates o Historical spending analysis o Project analysis including safety benefit/alternatives considered/engineering support o Annual summary of operational metrics/savings/safety reports o A rolling five-year capital spending plan update including estimated rate impacts o Rate recovery though a combination of fixed and volumetric rates o Estimated impact of the first year of implementation (begins November 2016) is $0.85/month per residential customer

Integrys Energy Group subsidiary Trillium CNG owns and operates a station in Jackson.

Atmos Energy and CenterPoint operate under rate stabilization tariffs. Atmos Energy utilizes a weather normalization adjustment rider that operates only during the months of November through April. CenterPoint Energy also utilizes a weather normalization mechanism.