The Mississippi Public Service Commission voted unanimously to approve a solar + battery storage facility to be built in Walnut Grove. The small utility-scale solar facility, which will be owned and operated by Mississippi Power Company, will produce 1.285 megawatts of clean, carbon free solar energy for Mississippi Power Company’s customers. It will also provide battery storage capacity of 5.14 megawatt-hours of electricity for those customers and could support a micro grid for the Walnut Grove area.
“The project represents Mississippi Power Company’s first ever stand-alone solar development and construction project and even represents the first battery energy storage at this scale in Mississippi being developed by a utility company. I’m excited to see this solar project move forward and the benefits it will bring to Mississippi Power customers – particularly those customers in Walnut Grove,” PSC Commissioner Brent Bailey said. “It will also provide a valuable demonstration of combined solar generation and battery storage, which advances this important technology for Mississippi and the region.”
Walnut Grove Mayor Brian Gomillion said “his team is excited that Mississippi Power received approval today from the Public Service Commission to build a new solar facility with a battery storage system here in Walnut Grove. We are grateful for this 7.8 Million dollar investment. We appreciate the leadership of Central District PSC Commissioner Brent Bailey for his long time work in renewable energy and his ushering this project through the process for his home county.”
The project represents a total investment of $7.8 million in Leake County and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2021.
