Mississippi Power upgrades service for popular Meridian restaurant

Meridian, Miss. - A Mississippi Power team recently rerouted and upgraded service for The Rustler, an award-winning restaurant on Highway 80 in Meridian which has received regional and national recognition.

Mississippi Power employees first recognized lights inside the restaurant occasionally flickered when the air conditioning unit started. Once this was identified, the Meridian Engineering team conducted a load study. Findings revealed the restaurant’s voltage drop and flicker level was higher than company standards, so a plan was created to improve customer service for the restaurant and nearby mobile home community.

“We care about our customers, and we always strive to provide them with the best service,” said Lineman Allen Williams. “These upgrades further demonstrate the value of being a Mississippi Power customer.”

To accomplish this, the crew installed a new 30-foot pole, transformer and  span of primary neutral wire. This removed a dual feed, which prevents potentially hazardous work conditions and creates a safer work environment for future operations. The crew then installed a transformer on an existing 40-foot pole adjacent to Oakland Heights Elementary School, which was relocated in order to effectively meet the load demand and maintain clearance.

Animal mitigation technology was installed on each transformer to help improve resiliency against outages and preserve wildlife. Tree-trimming was also completed to open the work area and eliminate those obstacles for the customer.

Owners of The Rustler, Mike Partridge and Semmes Martin, expressed their gratitude for the company’s dedication to its customers.

“We are thankful for Mississippi Power and their attention to detail,” they said in a statement. “We are looking forward to being better able to serve our guests and community.”

Now in its 99th year of operations, Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), produces safe, reliable and affordable energy for more than 192,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties. Mississippi Power was recognized by the Edison Electric Institute with an Emergency Response Award in 2023. The company was also a recent recipient of the Community Partner Impact Award from the Center for Energy Workforce Development for its innovative and ongoing efforts to build a diverse workforce. With nearly 160 megawatts of approved solar energy capacity, Mississippi Power is the largest partner in providing renewable energy in the state of Mississippi. Visit our websites at mississippipower.com and mississippipowernews.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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