Solar in Mississippi

Solar Landscape in Mississippi

Mississippi's utility landscape is divided between two major investor-owned utilities. Entergy Mississippi serves the western and central portions of the state with approximately 450,000 customers. Mississippi Power (a Southern Company subsidiary) serves the southeastern portion of the state, including the Gulf Coast, with approximately 190,000 customers.

Both utilities participate in the Mississippi PSC's Renewable Energy Net Metering (RENM) program, crediting excess solar generation at avoided cost plus a $0.02/kWh premium. This typically totals about half the retail rate or less. Rural electric cooperatives serve much of the state's rural areas with varying (often less favorable) solar policies.

Mississippi has some of the lowest electricity rates in the nation at approximately $0.11-0.12/kWh average retail, which combined with low buyback rates makes solar economics challenging without the federal tax credit.

Permitting

Mississippi has no statewide solar permitting standards. All solar permitting is handled at the local level by city and county building departments, with requirements, fees, and timelines varying significantly by jurisdiction.

No Mississippi jurisdictions currently participate in the DOE's SolarAPP+ automated permitting program. Typical residential solar permit timelines range from 1 to 3 weeks. Larger cities like Jackson, Gulfport, and Hattiesburg generally have more established processes.

Mississippi's hurricane exposure in coastal areas (particularly the Gulf Coast region served by Mississippi Power) may impose additional structural requirements for solar installations to meet local wind load standards.

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