Legislation has been introduced in Mississippi’s 2026 Legislative Session that will help to level the playing field in the electric vehicle (EV) charging marketplace and drive private investment in the Magnolia State. Charge Ahead Partnership (CAP) is supporting Senate Bill 2059. This legislation will address significant barriers to private investment in Mississippi’s EV Charging market by leveling the playing field and preventing unfair competition from electric utilities. Specifically, this legislation will prohibit utilities from recovering any costs associated with owning and operating public facing direct-current-fast-charging (DCFC) stations, require utilities participating in this market to offer fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory rates to all entities in the market and not act in a matter that would provide utility-owned DCFC stations with a competitive advantage. Legislative action is especially important in Mississippi as one of the state's largest utilities, Entergy Mississippi, has already installed publicly available fast chargers through their Direct Current Fast Charging Station Pilot Program. SB 2059 has been referred to the Senate Energy Committee.
Key Provisions of Mississippi SB 2059:
Prohibits electric utilities from using ratepayer funds to cover the costs of owning and operating publicly available EV chargers.
Establishes a level playing field by prohibiting utilities from giving themselves a competitive advantage in charging rates.
Legislation was also introduced in Mississippi’s 2025 Legislative Session that would have helped to level the playing field in the EV charging marketplace and drive private investment in the Magnolia State. CAP was supporting House Bill 1195 and Senate Bill 2229. This legislation would have addressed significant barriers to private investment in Mississippi’s EV Charging market by leveling the playing field and preventing unfair competition from electric utilities while also addressing demand charges. Unfortunately, neither of these bills made it out of Committee before the required deadline.
The 2025 legislation would have prevented Mississippi’s electric utilities from billing ratepayers to recover the costs of owning and operating EV charging stations. This legislation would not have prohibited utilities from competing in this market, but only through separate, unregulated subsidiaries operating under the same fees, terms, rates, charges and conditions as those offered to private entities in the market. These provisions would ensure that electric utilities cannot use their inherent advantages as a regulated monopoly to unfairly compete in the EV charging market, thus giving confidence to private businesses that their investments will not be undercut by a utility using ratepayer funds.
Additionally, if passed, HB 1195 and SB 2229 would have required Mississippi’s electric utilities to maintain rates specific to EV fast charging that utilize alternatives to traditional demand charges. By requiring rates utilizing demand charge alternatives, these bills would have provided the rate transparency and predictability necessary for businesses considering entering the EV charging market.
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