Yesterday, Rep. Travis Childers announced that Mississippi will receive more than $450,000 in federal funding to improve the state's emergency preparedness plans and ensure fast recovery of energy disruptions. The state will use the money to hire and retrain staff and expand our capacity to respond to situations such as blackouts, hurricanes and ice storms, Childers' office said in a release.

"Mississippi has been hit hard by natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina. It's essential that we are well-prepared for future emergencies that may seriously disrupt our state's energy systems," Childers said in the release. "This significant Recovery Act funding will help improve Mississippi's energy security and electricity reliability, ensuring that our state has the resources it needs to prepare for and recover from an emergency."

The award will also help Mississippi address cyber security concerns and prepare for the challenges of integrating smart grid technologies and renewable energy sources into the transmission network, the release added. States receiving this funding are encouraged to coordinate and communicate best practices with one another to build state-level and regional resiliency.