Mississippi Code
Miss. Code Ann. § 77-3-13 (2026)
Issuance of certificates; temporary certificates; cancelability review upon change of ownership
✓ current as of July 2026
- (1) The commission shall issue a certificate of convenience and necessity to any person engaged in the construction or operation of such equipment or facility as is mentioned in subsection (1) of Section 77-3-11 on March 29, 1956, for the construction or operation then being conducted, without requiring proof that public convenience and necessity will be served by such construction or operation, and without further proceedings, if application for such certificate is made to the commission within six (6) months after March 29, 1956. Any utility covered by this chapter which has heretofore been under the jurisdiction of the commission shall, upon application within six (6) months of March 29, 1956, be issued a certificate authorizing it to conduct operations and make extensions within any area covered by its service area map or maps on file with the commission on March 29, 1956.
- (2) The commission shall issue a certificate of convenience and necessity to any person engaged in the construction or operation of a sewage disposal service as mentioned in subsection (2) of Section 77-3-11 on August 9, 1968, for the construction or operation then being conducted, without requiring proof that public convenience and necessity will be served by such construction or operation, and without further proceedings, if application for such certificate is made to the commission within six (6) months after August 9, 1968. Pending the filing of such application and the issuance of a certificate, the continuance of such construction or operation shall be lawful.
Except as otherwise specifically provided by subsection (2) of Section 77-3-11 or by this subsection, that portion of the business of a public utility dealing with the operation of a sewage disposal service as provided by subsection (2) of Section 77-3-11 shall be subject to provisions of this chapter, in like manner and with like effect as if such business had been included within the definition of a "public utility" in the original enactment of this chapter.
- (3) In all other cases, except as provided in subsection (9) of this section, the commission shall set the matter for hearing, and shall give reasonable notice of the hearing thereon to all interested persons, as in its judgment may be necessary under its rules and regulations, involving the financial ability and good faith of the applicant, the necessity for additional services and such other matters as the commission deems relevant. The commission may issue a certificate of public convenience and necessity, or refuse to issue the same or issue it for the establishment or construction of a portion only of the contemplated plant, route, line or system, or extension thereof, or for the partial exercise only of such right or privilege, and may attach to the exercise of the rights granted by the certificate such reasonable terms and conditions as to time or otherwise as, in its judgment, the public convenience, necessity and protection may require, and may forfeit such certificate after issuance for noncompliance with its terms, or provide therein for an ipso facto forfeiture of the same for failure to exercise the rights granted within the time fixed by the certificate. However, nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring such certificate for a municipally owned plant, project or development, route, line or system or extension thereof in areas within one (1) mile of the corporate boundaries which are not certificated to another utility, and nothing in this chapter or other provision of law shall be construed as allowing a municipally owned plant, project or development, route, line or system or extension thereof in areas certificated to another utility. No certificate shall be required for extensions or additions within the corporate limits of a municipality being served by the holder of a certificate of convenience and necessity.
- (4) The commission shall, prior to issuing a certificate of public convenience and necessity to a public utility for any new construction, extension or addition to its property, ascertain that all labor, materials, property or services to be rendered for any proposed project will be supplied at reasonable prices. The commission shall, after issuance of a certificate for facilities estimated to cost Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000.00) or more or estimated to cost an amount equal to one percent (1%) of the rate base allowed by the commission in the utility's last rate case, whichever is greater, assign the public utilities staff to monitor such projects, to inspect periodically construction in progress, and to report to the commission any variances or deviations as found, if any, and to file progress reports thereon with the commission. Such public utility shall file a similar report with the commission at such times and in such form as the commission shall require, including any substantial changes in plans and specifications, cost allocations, construction schedule and funds available to complete the project.
- (5) The commission may issue a temporary certificate in cases of emergency, to assure maintenance of adequate service or to serve particular customers, without notice or hearing, pending the determination of an application for a certificate, and may by regulation exempt from the requirements of Sections 77-3-11 through 77-3-21:
- (a) temporary acts or operations for which the issuance of a certificate will not be required in the public interest; and
- (b) extensions or additions of service facilities outside of municipalities under such general rules as will promote the prompt availability of such service to prospective users, and at the same time prevent unnecessary and uneconomic duplication of such facilities as between two (2) or more persons.
- (6) Prior to the acquisition pursuant to Section 77-3-17, or other provisions of law, by any public agency, authority, district, state or other agency, institution or political subdivision thereof, of any certificate of public convenience and necessity or portion thereof, service areas or portion thereof, or operating rights or portion thereof, issued or granted by the commission pursuant to the provisions of this section and/or the facilities or other properties and equipment of the utility providing service therein of any regulated utility, as defined in Section 77-3-3(d)(i), (ii) and (iii), the commission shall first determine if such service area, certificate of public convenience and necessity, or operating right, or portions thereof, should be cancelled as provided in Section 77-3-21.
- (7) Before the acquisition pursuant to any negotiated purchase agreement entered into before 1987, by any public agency, authority, district, state or other agency, institution or political subdivision thereof, of any certificate of public convenience and necessity or portion thereof, service areas or portion thereof, or operating rights or portion thereof, issued or granted by the commission pursuant to this section and/or the facilities or other properties and equipment of the utility providing service therein of any regulated utility defined in Section 77-3-3(d)(i), the commission first shall determine that such service area, certificate of public convenience and necessity, or operating right, or portions thereof, shall be cancelled as provided in Section 77-3-21.
- (8) Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, the certificate as applied for may be granted without a hearing in uncontested cases; however, the commission may hear any uncontested case if it determines that the public interest will be served thereby.
- (9) With respect to any facility or contract for a facility serving a customer under Section 22 of this act, nothing in this section shall supersede the provisions of Section 22 of this act.
Codes, 1942, §§ 7716-05, 7716-45; Laws, 1956, ch. 372, § 5; Laws, 1968, ch. 502, § 3; Laws, 1983, ch. 467, § 10; Laws, 1987, ch. 353, § 2; Laws, 2002, ch. 303, § 1, eff. 3/4/2002.
Amended by Laws, 2024EX2, ch. 3, SB 2001,§ 25, eff. 1/30/2024.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 15
cases, 1973–2019 · leading case: City of Starkville v. 4-Cnty. Elec. Power Ass'n, 909 So. 2d 1094 (Miss. 2005).
City of Starkville v. 4-Cnty. Elec. Power Ass'n, 909 So. 2d 1094 (Miss. 2005). “The focus of the 1987 Amendments was on three statutes Miss. Code Ann. §§ 77-3-13 , -17, & -21 (Senate Bill 2840, ch.”
Cities of Oxford v. Ne Miss Elec. Power Ass'n, 704 So. 2d 59 (Miss. 1997). “The veto was overridden by both Houses on March 17, 1987, thus that date amending Miss. Code Ann. §§ 77-3-13 , 17, and 21 dealing with the regulation of public utilities.”
Blocktree Props., LLC v. Pub. Util. Dist. No. 2 of Grant Cnty. Wash., Mun. Corp., 380 F. Supp. 3d 1102 (E.D. Wash. 2019). “There may be merit to Blocktree's argument about being classified without being heard.”
City of Starkville v. 4-Cnty. Elec. Power Assn., 819 So. 2d 1216 (Miss. 2002). “2840, amending Miss.Code Ann. §§ 77-3-13, -17, & -21 (2000) concerning the regulation of public utilities.”
MISSISSIPPI PSC v. Miss. Power & Light, 593 So. 2d 997 (Miss. 1991). “Miss. Code Ann. § 77-3-13 (3) (Supp. 1990) provides: The Commission may issue a certificate of public convenience and necessity .”
Mississippi Power Co. v. Mississippi Pub. Serv. Comm'n, 168 So. 3d 905 (Miss. 2015). “” Additionally, "[t]he Commission may promulgate rules and regulations providing for notice to customers of the filing by any public utility for a rate increase.”
City of Clarksdale v. MS. POWER & LIGHT, 556 So. 2d 1056 (Miss. 1990). “2840 passed the Senate on February 6, 1987, passed the House of Representatives on March 3, then was vetoed by the Governor on March 5, with the veto overridden by both Houses on March 17, 1987, thus on that date amending Miss. Code Ann. §§ 77-3-13 , 17, and 21 dealing with…”
Williston Basin Interstate Pipeline Co. v. Wyoming Pub. Serv. Comm'n, 996 P.2d 663 (Wyo. 2000). “1998); Miss.Code Ann. § 77-3-13 (LEXIS Supp.1999); Tenn.”
Mississippi Power & Light Co. v. City of Clarksdale, 288 So. 2d 9 (Miss. 1973). “Miss. Code Ann. § 77-3-13 (1972). The subsection relied on by Clarksdale as authority for its condemnation proceedings is Mississippi Code Annotated section 77-3-17 (1972), the pertinent part of which is as follows: Any municipality shall have the right to acquire by purchase,…”
A.B.E., Inc. v. City of Oxford, 830 So. 2d 615 (Miss. 2002). “803, has recently enacted certain statutory amendments to Miss.Code Ann. § 77-3-13 which provide that “nothing in this chapter or other provisions of law shall be construed as allowing a municipally owned plant, project or development, route, line or system or extension thereof…”
City of Southaven, Mississippi v. 4-Cnty. Elec. Power Ass'n (Miss. 2002). “Within approximately three weeks after we handed down our decision in Starkville I, Representative Tyrone Ellis 3 introduced a bill to amend Miss. Code Ann. § 77-3-13 , with the stated purpose being to clarify the legislative intent in passing the 1987 amendments to the 3…”
City of Oxford, Mississippi v. Ne. Mississippi Elec. Power Ass'n (Miss. 1995). “The veto was overridden by both Houses on March 17, 1987, thus that date amending Miss. Code Ann. §§ 77-3-13 , --17, and --21 dealing with the regulation of public utilities.”
— Miss. Code Ann. § 77-3-13(3) — 2 cases
City of Starkville v. 4-Cnty. Elec. Power Ass'n, 909 So. 2d 1094 (Miss. 2005). “The focus of the 1987 Amendments was on three statutes Miss. Code Ann. §§ 77-3-13 , -17, & -21 (Senate Bill 2840, ch.”
Mississippi Power Co. v. Mississippi Pub. Serv. Comm'n, 168 So. 3d 905 (Miss. 2015). “” Additionally, "[t]he Commission may promulgate rules and regulations providing for notice to customers of the filing by any public utility for a rate increase.”
— Miss. Code Ann. § 77-3-13(7) — 1 case
City of Starkville v. 4-Cnty. Elec. Power Ass'n, 909 So. 2d 1094 (Miss. 2005). “The focus of the 1987 Amendments was on three statutes Miss. Code Ann. §§ 77-3-13 , -17, & -21 (Senate Bill 2840, ch.”
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