Mississippi Energy Institute 219 N President St. Jackson, Mississippi 39201 www.mepi.ms

New and Noteworthy

The Mississippi Energy Institute in conjection with Consumer Energy Alliance and Gulf Economic Survival Team hosted the 2012 Gulf Coast Energy Summit on March 12 at the Gulf Coast Coliseum & Convention Center in Biloxi, MS. Guests included Republican Presidential Candidates Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum, Governor Phil Bryant and U.S. Congressmen Steven Palazzo (MS-4,) Joe Barton (TX-6,) and Trent Franks (AZ-2.) Speakers addressed the importance of energy development and discussed solutions to achieving energy independence.

The Institute congratulates SmartSynch on its recent acquisition by Itron Inc., an energy technology company based in Washington state. The deal, estimated to be worth around $100 million, will net Itron Inc approximately $50 million in revenues.

Bryant, Palazzo, Santorum, and Gingrich Attend Mississippi Gulf Coast Energy Summit

SmartSynch Purchased

Atlanta-based Southern Company received approval for the contstruction of two nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle in eastern Georgia. These two reactors will join two existing reactors that have been in operation for 25 and 23 years. The new reactors are expected to begin operation in 2016 and 2017. This will be among the largest construction projects in Georgia’s history, representing capital investments of $14 billion and bringing the state, by the firm’s estimate, 3,500 construction jobs and 800 permanent jobs.

Southern Co. Receives Approval of Georgia Nuclear Reactors

Energy InstituteM I S S I S S I P P I

Republican Presidential Candidate Newt Gingrich addressing the audience at the Gulf Coast Energy Summit in Biloxi, MS. If elected President, Gingrich plans to open up more o�shore and federal lands for oil and gas exploration (Associated Press)

Mississippi Energy Institute 219 N President St. Jackson, Mississippi 39201 www.mepi.ms

March 2012 . Issue 1

With one simple glance, you can see a lot is new with the Institute . For starters, we shortened our name and created a new logo. These are the first steps in a long-term effort to expand our reach and enhance our image in the policy and public world. In terms of outreach, we are working to issue a monthly newsletter and create a more user-friendly and user-informative website. We’ve also started a new twitter account (@MSEnergyInst) and of course, our Facebook page is still there for you to “like.” These are all just small steps in a large effort to make ourselves known and accessible to those who take interest in what we do and who we are.

AREVA’s design for a fourth-generation nuclear reactor has won praise from a nuclear industry group. The Next Generation Nuclear Plant Industry Alliance cited AREVA’s design for both its ability to gener-ate electricity and to produce process heat for use by industry. The AREVA design is a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor and would provide a source of nuclear energy with inherent safety features and zero greenhouse gas emissions. AREVA’s nuclear technology provides improved safety and security through its inherent design, by ensuring no internal or external event could lead to a release of radioactive mate-rial, as proven by experimental and demonstration reactors around the world.

Industry Group Praises AREVA’s Reactor Design

According to the Center for Energy Workforce Development, about 42 percent of all skilled lineworkers could retire by 2015. Nearly 31,000 entry-level apprentices will then be needed by all utilities. The Mississippi Electric Power Associations are among the center’s members working to make more training available on a local or regional basis by establishing five programs at community colleges in Mississippi. The programs enable energy corporations to hire green employees that have most of the certifications they would otherwise need two years to acquire.

Mississippi Electric Power Associations Join Effort to Create Tomorrow’s Lineworker Work Force

What’s New with the Institute

Board members in attendence at the March 8th meeting were treated to an appearance by Governor Phil Bryant, who declared his support and alignment with the objec-tives and mission of the Institute. Governor Bryant com-mented on the importance of our organization and spoke extensively on the economic benefits of energy produc-tion. While acknowleding the oil boom in North Dakota, Governor Bryant spoke of Mississippi’s potential for similar success. Governor Bryant reached out to the Board to help develop a reorganized MDA-Energy Division to create a long-term state energy plan. Later in the meeting, Senator Merle Flowers spoke to Board and offered to invite legislators to visit energy sites and facilities in order to enhance lawmakers knowledge of energy business in Mississippi.

Governor Phil Bryant and Senate Energy Chairman Merle Flowers Address Board

Governor Bryant opening the 2012 Gulf Coast Energy Summit. (Harlan Kirgan/Press-Register)

MEI Board of DirectorsReuben AndersonPhelps Dunbar

Randy JamesPruet Oil Company

Jeff FranklinMississippi Power

Matt HollemanGalaxie Corporation

Carol HardwickMS Economic Development Council

George GuidryGeorgia Pacific

David GatesAtmos

Haley FisackerlyEntergy

Randy DouetEntergy Nuclear

Ed DayMississippi Power

Dexter CookMississippi Gasification

Alice ClarkMS Research Consortium

Barry cannadaButler Snow

Michael CallahanElectric Power Asso.

Dan BednarzykNissan

Greg SchnackeDenbury Resources

Michael RencheckAREVA

John PalmerGulfSouth Capital, Inc.

Chip MorganDelta Council

John MilnerBrunini Law Firm

Tom KovarChevron

Richard MillsTellus Operating Group

Marie-Helene LabrieEnerkem

Roger KingMSU-CAVS

Stephen JohnstonSmartSynch

Mike WolffWeyerhaeuser

Tim WestonTennessee Valley Authority

Barry WeissGeneral Electric

Mike ThomasNorth American Coal

Oney TempleGulf LNG/El Paso

Glenn SteeleMississippi State University

Forrest BerryLaurel Fuel Company

William YatesYates Construction

Jim ShebleNucor Steel

Erich KlawuhnSoladigm

Mississippi Energy Institute 219 N President St. Jackson, Mississippi 39201 www.mepi.ms

March 2012 . Issue 1

MEI Board Welcomes New Members

The Board announced William Yates of Yates Construction, Jim Sheble of Nucor Steel, Forrest Berry of Laurel Fuel Co., and Eric Klawuhn of Soladigm as new members at the March 8th meeting.

Batelle Project UpdateSimon Tripp briefed the Board of the Batelle project’s prog-ress by saying it is near the half-way point and researchers are beginning to focus on specific opportunity areas. Tripp announced that a review period will allow the Institute to see an advanced report of the project’s findings as early as April.

MEI Announces Plan for Fall SummitThe Institute is working with the Governor's Office and others to plan a large public meeting in the fall. Modeled after successful energy summits in Ohio, the event will give the Institute a platform to release Battelle project results and next steps, to educate the public and students on opportunities in energy, and to generally market the importance of energy to our state and to the economy. The next Board meeting will coincide with this event. Dates TBA.

William YatesEric KlawuhnForrest Berry Jim Sheble

Did You Know?

- Coal power generation in the U.S. is now less than 40% of total generation in the U.S. The last time coal accounted for less than 40% of U.S. power generation was 1978.

- Sixty nuclear reactors are under construction worldwide, 26 of which are being built in China and none of which are in the U.S. The recent approval of the two Southern Co. reactors will put the U.S. on the list.

- The U.S. unemployment rate has reached or exceeded 7.5% during four periods in the last 50 years. Coincidentally, the four most dramatic oil price spikes occurred just prior to the unemploy-ment spikes. If the current situation of sustained high oil prices and sustained high unemployment has a precedent, the only comparable period is the late 1970s/early 1980s.