SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / MS / Forrest

Forrest County, MS — Solar Development Risk Assessment

Local solar ordinance barriers, board sentiment, and utility policies that affect development timelines and risk.

45.2
Risk Grade
Good
University town and regional economic hub moderate risk profile; USM sustainability awareness; tempered by Mississippi Power (Southern Company) resistance to large-scale DG and absence of solar ordinance.
Assessment Snapshot
Population
75,517
State Rank
#8
Compliance
45%
Trajectory
45

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No Moratorium

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
No county solar setbacks. City of Hattiesburg building permits apply within city limits.
Zoning Mechanism
City of Hattiesburg: building permit and commercial zoning for solar; county Board of Supervisors governs unincorporated areas via general land use discretion.
Acreage Caps
None codified.
Density Caps
None codified.
Spacing Rules
None codified.
Size Restrictions
None codified.

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Moderately favorable. University town (USM) creates educated pro-sustainability constituency; Hattiesburg is economic hub of southeast MS; Mississippi Power territory but some C&I solar activity.
Basis for Assessment
University of Southern Mississippi sustainability interest; Hattiesburg economic development activity; Mississippi Power more resistant than Entergy but C&I solar proceeding; mixed board composition.
Political Risk Factors
Stable
Board Members
5-member Board of Supervisors; mixed composition (majority-minority county); terms expire 2027.

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
SERC / Mississippi Power (Southern Company) transmission zone
Utilities
Mississippi Power (Southern Company)
State Permitting Process
No statewide solar siting law. Utility-scale solar regulated at county level by Board of Supervisors via discretionary zoning or conditional use permits. Counties retain full authority to approve, condition, or deny projects with no state preemption. MPSC oversees electric utilities; no formal solar siting review below 300 MW. FERC/MISO or SERC interconnection governs projects >20 MW.
State Incentives
No state RPS or SREC market. Solar equipment property tax exemption (Miss. Code Ann. §27-31-101). Net metering under MPSC Rule 29 (capped at 150% of 12-month avg usage; interconnection fee may apply). Federal ITC (30% under IRA 2022) is primary incentive. No state solar grant or loan programs.

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects
Several C&I rooftop installations in Hattiesburg commercial district. USM campus has small solar demonstration installations. No confirmed large utility-scale ground-mount projects.
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
No confirmed denials on record.

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Last verified: 2026-04-03 | SolarRisk Tracker | Data sources: Government records, utility filings, public meeting minutes