The Mississippi Public Utilities Staff (MPUS) seeks a qualified public accounting firm to perform an independent audit of system restoration costs incurred by affected electric utilities during the 2026 winter storm. This audit is required pursuant to S.B. 3229, the Mississippi 2026 Severe Winter Storm Electric Utility Customer Relief and Electric Utility System Restoration Act, which was signed into law on April 8, 2026.
The audit will focus on Entergy Mississippi, LLC, the only electric utility currently qualifying under the Act. The contractor must audit the utility's system restoration costs to determine whether such costs are properly identified and recorded, enabling the Mississippi Public Service Commission to make informed decisions regarding the issuance of a financing order. The audit must begin promptly after the Act's effective date, prior to the utility's petition filing, and will be conducted in collaboration with MPUS staff.
Key project milestones include: RFP publication on April 28, 2026; proposal submission deadline of May 15, 2026 at 4:00 PM CDT; contract award by May 20, 2026; project commencement immediately following contract execution on or about May 18, 2026; and final audit report with findings due to MPUS by July 31, 2026. The anticipated period of performance runs from May 18, 2026 through July 31, 2026.
The contractor's duties include gathering and assessing relevant information from the utility, collaborating with MPUS to draft data requests, performing comprehensive audit tasks, reviewing relevant docket filings, conferring with MPUS staff and consultants, preparing a detailed final audit report with findings, and attending hearings if requested. Audit expenses will be included in the bond financing amount and recovered through system restoration charges to customers. The Public Service Commission must issue a financing order or reject the utility's petition within 60 days of filing.