SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / MS / Pearl River

Pearl River County, MS — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

46.8
Risk Grade
Good
New Orleans proximity drives moderate solar awareness and rooftop demand; growing population and above-average income are positives; offset by no solar ordinance and Entergy/MS Power IOU resistance.
Assessment Snapshot
Population
56,990
State Rank
#15
Compliance
50%
Trajectory
48

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No Moratorium

Ordinance & Regulations

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

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Moderately favorable. New Orleans metro spillover drives above-average solar awareness; growing population with above-average MHI; conservative supervisors but pro-growth orientation.
Basis for Assessment
New Orleans metro proximity; growing population; above-average MHI; residential rooftop solar demand; pro-growth conservative supervisors.
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 Mississippi Power
Utilities
Entergy Mississippi, Mississippi Power (Southern Company, eastern portions)
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
Some residential rooftop solar in new construction (New Orleans metro spillover). Limited C&I solar in Picayune commercial corridor. No confirmed utility-scale ground-mount.
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