Mississippi Power and Silicon Ranch have officially commissioned a 50MW solar project in Hattiesburg, Mississippi that is operating and providing energy to the Mississippi Power grid.

The installation, which can produce enough energy to supply power to approximately 6,500 homes, is comprised of approximately 200,000 panels and is located on 182 hectares in south Hattiesburg.

Mississippi Power president and CEO Anthony Wilson noted: “Over the last 15 months, Mississippi Power and our partners have turned renewable energy in our state from a dream into a reality. We’ve brought more than 100MW of solar power online in the last three months and I would like to thank the teams at Silicon Ranch, the Area Development Partnership and the Public Service Commission for their commitment to bringing this plant online to the benefit of the entire Pine Belt region.”

Silicon Ranch funded the construction of the PV project and will own and operate the facility for the long term. At its peak, construction on the site supported 350 jobs — many of which were awarded to local labor and local subcontractors.

Silicon Ranch president and CEO Matt Kisber added: “The leadership and Board of Directors at Mississippi Power deserve tremendous credit for their commitment to bring renewable power to southeast Mississippi.

“Silicon Ranch is honored to be the newest corporate citizen of the Hattiesburg community, and we look forward to collaborating with the Area Development Partnership to promote the economic and environmental benefits this project will bring to the city, to Forrest County and to the surrounding region for years to come.”

Mississippi Power is the state’s largest provider in renewable energy, with the company boasting nearly 160MW of approved solar generation.