VICKSBURG, Miss. (WJTV) – The City of Vicksburg will be the home of Entergy Mississippi’s new power station.

The Vicksburg Advanced Power Station is the company’s latest investment to replace retired, 50-year-old natural gas generation facilities with newer, highly efficient resources. Officials said the 754-megawatt combined-cycle combustion turbine facility will be located on the grounds of the former Baxter Wilson Steam Electric Station.

According to Entergy Mississippi, the facility and other new generation units will reduce forecasted bill increases by 16% over the next five years.

These measures are part of Superpower Mississippi, the largest grid upgrade in the company’s history, which makes distribution improvements, adds new generation and prioritizes keeping customers’ rates affordable while building an all-of-the-above generation mix that makes the electric grid more reliable and efficient.

“Vicksburg is one of the four original cities we began serving in 1923, and we’re proud to continue our legacy here with the Vicksburg Advanced Power Station. We’re building new natural gas plants in our service area for the first time in more than 50 years. Replacing older plants has been in our long-term resource plan for several years, but we’re taking advantage of the economic growth happening in our region to bring modern generation technology online sooner, while minimizing the rate impact to customers’ bills,” said Haley Fisackerly, president and CEO, Entergy Mississippi.

According to officials, the $1.2 billion investment in Vicksburg represents a significant economic impact for the area, including more than 560 construction jobs over the next several years and additional tax revenue for Warren County. Entergy will employ about 21 personnel to operate the plant once completed.