Gulfport, Miss. – Mississippi Power and SR Meridian, III received unanimous Mississippi Public Service Commission approval today for a certificate of public convenience and necessity to construct and operate a 52.5 MW solar energy generating facility in Lauderdale County.

The project will include approximately 570,000 photovoltaic solar panels. The plant is scheduled to begin providing energy by December 2019. When operational, the facility will generate enough electricity to power approximately 8,000 homes.

SR Meridian, III, will construct, own and operate the facility, which is estimated to cost approximately $100 million, and will deliver affordable wholesale energy to Mississippi Power below the company’s avoided cost over the 25-year life of the Power Purchase Agreement. SR Meridian, III, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Silicon Ranch Corporation, one of the nation’s largest independent solar power producers.

“This partnership with Silicon Ranch will help Mississippi Power continue to support the expansion of solar generation in the state of Mississippi,” Mississippi Power President and CEO Anthony Wilson said. “This facility increases Mississippi Power’s access to solar power, supports the Navy in its renewable energy initiatives and is a significant investment in Lauderdale County.”

This generating facility, along with a 6 MW solar plant that recently broke ground at Naval Air Station Meridian, will help support the Navy’s objective of strengthening grid resiliency and reliability.

“NAS Meridian's success in effectively managing energy resources has been recognized at the highest levels of the Navy,” said Captain Scott A. Bunnay, former commanding officer of NAS Meridian. “Efforts like these solar projects help bases become more resilient and secure."

“Silicon Ranch is grateful for the support of the Mississippi Public Service Commission, as this project reinforces our long-term commitment to the Magnolia State, where we have already made significant investments across more than a dozen facilities,” said Silicon Ranch President and CEO Matt Kisber. “We wish to commend our partners at Mississippi Power, East Mississippi Electric Power Association and Naval Air Station Meridian for their collaborative efforts to bring the benefits of utility-scale solar to Lauderdale County.”

The Lauderdale County facility will increase Mississippi Power’s solar capacity to 160 MW and solidify the company’s position as the largest partner in renewable energy in the state of Mississippi.
 
In July, Mississippi Power held site dedications at a 52 MW solar plant in Sumrall with D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments and a 4 MW solar facility at the Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport with Hannah Solar and WGL Energy. In the coming weeks, a 50 MW solar plant in Hattiesburg in partnership with Silicon Ranch and the Area Development Partnership is also scheduled to begin operating.

Mississippi Power will receive all energy and associated renewable energy credits produced by these facilities, which it may use to serve customers with solar energy or sell to third parties for the benefit of customers.

About Mississippi Power
Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), produces safe, reliable and environmentally responsible energy for nearly 187,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties. Mississippi Power ranked first in the Southeastern Electric Exchange’s 2016 Safety Performance Reports in all categories in which it participates – fossil/hydro generation, transmission and distribution, corporate and support, and total company – and is consistently recognized as an industry leader in reliability, customer service and safety. With nearly 160 megawatts of approved solar energy capacity, Mississippi Power is the largest partner in providing renewable energy in the state of Mississippi. Visit our websites at mississippipower.com and mississippipowernews.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and YouTube.

About Silicon Ranch Corporation
Silicon Ranch, based in Nashville, Tenn., is one of the fastest-growing developers, owners, and operators of solar energy plants in the United States. Silicon Ranch develops to own all of its projects for the long-term and brings the economic, environmental, and community benefits of commercial and utility-scale solar energy together in a full-service model that requires no capital investment from its stakeholders. The company’s portfolio spans coast to coast and includes more than 1 Gigawatt of PV systems that are contracted, under construction, or operating, including the first large-scale solar projects in Tennessee, Georgia, Arkansas, and Mississippi. More information is available at www.siliconranchcorp.com.

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