Mississippi Power begins service voltage upgrades in Richton
Gulfport, Miss. – As part of Mississippi Power’s ongoing grid investment initiative, multiple teams in the company's Power Delivery and Division Operations are collaborating to upgrade the town of Richton’s distribution system from 4kV to 12kV.
This upgrade will align Richton's voltage with the most prevalent voltage in the Northern Division, significantly enhancing operational flexibility and reliability for customers. The higher voltage will also facilitate the implementation of a self-healing network (SHN), which improves system resiliency and reduces the frequency and duration of outages.
During the conversion process, every transformer in Richton will be addressed, and approximately 70% of the town will receive new equipment, following a meticulous review process to determine the necessary upgrades.
“The benefits of this upgrade are multifaceted,” said Senior Engineer Austin Waldrup. “For customers, it means fewer and shorter outages due to the enhanced capacity and efficiency of the 12kV system. For our operations, it means fewer limitations imposed by high amps associated with low voltage systems, providing more power to implement the SHN effectively.”
During the conversion, every customer in Richton will experience an outage at some point. Mississippi Power is adjusting manpower to ensure these outages are as brief as possible.
The upgrades are expected to be completed later this year..
Now in its 100th year of service, 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 is proud to be an industry leader in safety and reliability. The company was recognized in 2024 by the Southeastern Electric Exchange for the Top Safety Performance in its generation category. For outstanding storm response, the company has also been honored by the Edison Electric Institute multiple times with an Emergency Response Award. Visit our website at mississippipower.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
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