For full article see SolarLove.org November 11, 2015.

Mississippi currently has about one megawatt of solar power installed, and is one of the worst American states for solar, but that is going to change soon. The Mississippi Public Service Commission approved 105 MW of utility-scale solar farms, and Mississippi Power will collaborate with the US Navy and three solar power companies to create three solar farms within the utility’s service area.

The projects are:

• Mississippi Power and Strata Solar are partnering on a 450-acre, 50-MW generating station in Hattiesburg.
• The utility is also partnering with Origis Energy on a 52-MW utility-scale energy project in Sumrall.
• Mississippi Power, Hannah Solar, and the U.S. Navy are partnering on a 23-acre, 3-4-MW project at The Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport.

“Origis is honored to team up with Mississippi Power on this utility-scale solar project. Our team has received great support with the development of this project. We are honored by the trust and confidence Mississippi Power and the Mississippi Public Service Commission have given to this exciting solar project and Origis,” explained Origis Energy President Guy Vanderhaegen.

Of course, this is great news for Mississippi. To go from 1 MW to over 100 MW in a short period shows quite a shift in mindset. Mississippi Power provides electricity to 186,000 customers in 23 counties. The new solar power installations have an estimated capacity to provide electricity to about 15,500 homes, when there is adequate sunshine.