Monroe County, MS — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

47.9
Risk Grade
Fair
No solar ordinance; conservative manufacturing-focused board; TVA/Entergy boundary creates developer uncertainty; declining population.
Assessment Snapshot
Population
35,043
State Rank
#21
Compliance
55%
Trajectory
55

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No Moratorium

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
No county-specific solar setbacks adopted. State building code minimums apply; conditions negotiated project-by-project with Board of Supervisors.
Zoning Mechanism
Board of Supervisors discretionary approval; Aberdeen city has municipal codes; unincorporated areas have no codified solar process.
Acreage Caps
None codified.
Density Caps
None codified.
Spacing Rules
None codified.
Size Restrictions
None codified.

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Conservative. Northeast MS manufacturing county; Aberdeen Lake area; supervisors focus on traditional industrial development.
Basis for Assessment
Manufacturing economy; conservative supervisors; TVA/Entergy overlap creates interconnection complexity; no documented solar advocacy.
Political Risk Factors
Stable
Board Members
5-member Board of Supervisors; Republican majority; terms expire 2027.

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
MISO South / Entergy Mississippi; portions served by TVA-wholesale distribution
Utilities
Entergy Mississippi, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA, northeast portions via cooperative)
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Denied/Withdrawn Projects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.

Explore the Full Tracker

View risk assessments for all 3,100+ US counties, compare states, and download detailed ordinance data for your solar development pipeline.

Launch SolarRisk Tracker