Pike County, MS — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

49.1
Risk Grade
Fair
Oil/gas cultural resistance; no solar ordinance; declining population; low MHI; no transmission infrastructure proximity.
Assessment Snapshot
Population
38,834
State Rank
#26
Compliance
58%
Trajectory
58

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No Moratorium

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
No county solar setbacks. McComb city building code applies within city limits.
Zoning Mechanism
City of McComb: 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
Conservative. McComb is a modest regional center in SW Mississippi; oil/gas history; supervisors conservative with no track record on solar.
Basis for Assessment
Oil/gas extraction history; conservative supervisors; declining population; no solar advocacy documented.
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
MISO South / Entergy Mississippi transmission zone
Utilities
Entergy Mississippi, Southwest Mississippi Electric Power Association (SMEPA)
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Denied/Withdrawn Projects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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