Marshall County, MS — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

47.3
Risk Grade
Fair
Growing population and Memphis proximity provide mild positive signal; offset by no solar ordinance and conservative/mixed supervisors with no solar track record.
Assessment Snapshot
Population
35,294
State Rank
#18
Compliance
50%
Trajectory
50

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No Moratorium

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
No county solar setbacks. Holly Springs city building code applies within city limits.
Zoning Mechanism
City of Holly Springs: commercial permits and zoning; county Board governs unincorporated areas.
Acreage Caps
None codified.
Density Caps
None codified.
Spacing Rules
None codified.
Size Restrictions
None codified.

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Mixed. Growing Memphis suburb with some economic development activity; Rust College (HBCU) creates educated community presence; mixed supervisors; no solar developer activity documented.
Basis for Assessment
Memphis metro proximity; growing population; Rust College presence; majority-minority county with mixed political environment.
Political Risk Factors
Stable
Board Members
5-member Board of Supervisors; Democratic majority (majority-minority county); terms expire 2027.

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
MISO South / Entergy Mississippi transmission zone
Utilities
Entergy Mississippi
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
No confirmed utility-scale solar projects on record.
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
No confirmed denials on record.

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