April Guest vividly recalls the chilling days that followed the winter ice storm of 2023 in north Mississippi. The 68-year-old spent her nights sheltered under a repurposed table, trying to keep the frigid air at bay with blankets, a stark reminder of the storm’s impact on her Ashland home.
“Getting up to go to the bathroom felt like an Arctic expedition,” Guest said. “It was nerve-wracking just to move.” During the daylight hours, she sought refuge at a neighbor’s place where an oil lamp provided warmth amid the bitter cold. After five long days without power, her home finally came back to life, although many in the area endured longer outages.
Such ice storms are unusual for a state known for mild winters, but the reality remains that more outages could be looming for Guest and approximately 12,000 other residents who rely on the Holly Springs Utility Department. This was not her first experience with power interruptions, either. Following a tragic incident in which her late husband, who passed away in 2021, depended on an oxygen machine, power outages had dire consequences. On at least one occasion, they had to call for an ambulance when they ran out of spare oxygen due to a prolonged outage.
The financial implications of these outages are significant too. “I’ve lost more food than I wish to count,” Guest stated, noting that power surges have damaged two air conditioners and her refrigerator. To minimize future losses, she now opts for a smaller dorm-sized fridge and is considering leaving the home she has occupied for 43 years. “The thought of winter coming is absolutely overwhelming,” she admitted in early December.
The majority of Holly Springs Utility Department customers, including Guest, reside outside the city limits. After years of grievances regarding the utility’s service, lawmakers passed legislation last session that might lead to the utility losing those customers, which would pose a financial challenge for a city that heavily depends on utility income. Following the authority granted in the new legislation, the Mississippi Public Service Commission has planned a hearing for January 7 to evaluate whether the utility department is providing “reasonably adequate” service. If found wanting, the PSC may seek judicial intervention to manage the electric services for those customers.
On January 7, however, the city of Holly Springs requested a postponement of the hearing, citing a scheduling conflict with the state Supreme Court because the mayor needed to attend the first day of the 2025 legislative session. The Supreme Court has yet to respond to this request.
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the entity responsible for providing wholesale power to Holly Springs, indicated that none of its 153 local partners have encountered difficulties akin to those faced by the Holly Springs Utility Department. “We’re dealing with unprecedented circumstances,” Melanie Farrell, TVA’s vice president, remarked during a PSC hearing last year. Unfortunately, for the utility’s customers, the unpredictability and associated chaos have become all too familiar.
“It’s a confusing situation here,” Gene Crews, a local power customer pointed out. “It’s bewildering that in a modern society with advanced technology, they can’t seem to keep the lights on.”
Holly Springs, a place rich in history, is known for its association with notable figures like Ida B. Wells and Junior Kimbrough. The city made headlines again when Sharon Gipson was elected as its first female mayor in 2021, after campaigning for reforms to lower utility bills and modify sentencing laws. As scrutiny on the Holly Springs Utility Department intensified over the years, many officials claimed the current administration inherited a troubled utility beset by years of underinvestment.
“We knew this kind of day was approaching,” remarked Michael Howell, the electric superintendent who has served the department since 1981. He acknowledged that significant upgrades were required for poles, lines, and transformers, stating, “We’ve been discussing the need for improvement for years.” Howell identified frequent outages during sunny conditions as a sign of inadequate maintenance on rights-of-way — areas surrounding power lines that should be kept clear of vegetation. He also highlighted a staffing shortage, with the utility department having a mere five or six linemen, one of whom is in his 80s, for a service area of 1,100 miles. Ideally, the department should have had at least 30 to 40 linemen available.
At a hearing, Howell was asked if the department was at risk of collapse if investments weren’t made in its infrastructure. “It’s collapsing now,” he responded, earning applause from those present. He estimated that addressing all of the utility’s problems could take nearly a decade.
Since 1935, Holly Springs has sourced wholesale power from the TVA, benefiting from a federal initiative aimed at expanding electricity access to rural communities. Without getting into too much detail, the department’s jurisdiction covers parts of five counties and even a small portion of Tennessee. Approximately 8,000 of its customers live outside the city. However, local control remains firmly in the hands of the Holly Springs mayor and board of aldermen, which creates a disconnect since about two-thirds of ratepayers lack voting rights over the utility’s management.
Customers reported that outages have surged, particularly in rural areas, and while the frequency has reportedly increased over the last five years, the extent of the utility’s challenges became glaringly evident after the ice storm of 2023. In all, the storm affected over 20,000 power connections across northern Mississippi. Although most counties restored power relatively quickly, the Holly Springs Utility Department faced significant delays, with customers waiting 11 days for full restoration.
Becky Brown, who relies on an electric well pump for water, shared her frustrations during a public hearing: “When my refrigerator breaks down and I lose all my groceries, I’m left to pay for replacements out of my pocket. No one compensates me. It’s humiliating.” Brown lives in a rural location and recounted incidents where she had to haul water from a gas station to manage daily needs.
Another resident, Betsy Irmischer, recounted the distress of going nine days without power. Tragically, on Valentine’s Day, her husband fell in the darkness, passing away the next day while being transported in an ambulance for an airlift.
In the fiscal year of 2023, TVA recorded around 2,000 customer complaints from its local partners, significantly higher than the typical annual figure. More than 70% of these complaints originated from the Holly Springs utility area. TVA also noted that no other local power providers had encountered financial difficulties like those of Holly Springs, which was over a million dollars deficient in its payments to TVA and owed $2.4 million to vendors as of late October.
A subsequent study conducted to assess the utility department’s condition highlighted various issues, including a blatant absence of maintenance routines and safety briefings. Tom Suggs, who previously served as chief operating officer for Middle Tennessee Electric and led this study, noted ongoing outages despite clear skies and highlighted systemic delays in service requests, some taking up to two years.
As state officials carried out hearings, they grew concerned over the lack of leadership, often questioning the whereabouts of the mayor. Under Mayor Sharon Gipson, the utility has seen internal strife. Since her election, Gipson’s term has been marred by controversies, including filing and facing assault charges against city staff. Tensions with the five-member board have resulted in division over infrastructure initiatives, leading to drastic measures like cutting Gipson’s salary amid frustrations.
Notably, before the recent appointment of the utility’s general manager, there was no dedicated leadership for over a year, which inadequately affected service restorations during the ice storm. Observers believe that politics have significantly influenced the management of the utility, creating an environment where increased rates necessary for improvements were politically unpalatable. TVA has continuously suggested rate increases but the Holly Springs Utility Department hasn’t raised its rates since 2009.
Complicating the situation, some residents argue that both the local leadership and TVA must share responsibility for the utility’s predicament. Utility officials believe it necessitates substantial funding exceeding $10 million simply for the restoration of rights-of-way and $15 million to upgrade substations.
In response, a local lawmaker aims to propose legislation to establish a utility board, allowing all counties served by the utility the ability to appoint board members and remove the utilities from direct mayoral control. This initiative seeks to alleviate some of the political burdens that have historically plagued the department’s operations.
Unfortunately, attempts to engage with Holly Springs’ leadership for insights into these challenges have proven fruitless as repeated interview requests, spanning several months, evoked minimal responses, with local officials seemingly reluctant to address these tangible issues.
