Gulfport, Miss. – Mississippi Power and Silicon Ranch announced today that a 50 MW solar generating facility in Hattiesburg is operating and providing energy to the Mississippi Power grid.

The facility – which can produce enough energy to supply power to approximately 6,500 homes – features approximately 200,000 panels and is located on 450 acres in south Hattiesburg.

“Over the last 15 months, Mississippi Power and our partners have turned renewable energy in our state from a dream into a reality,” Mississippi Power President and CEO Anthony Wilson said. “We’ve brought more than 100 megawatts 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.”

One of the nation’s largest independent solar power producers, Silicon Ranch funded the construction and will own and operate the facility for the long-term, an approach it takes with every project it develops. At its peak, the project’s construction supported 350 jobs, many of which were filled by local labor and local subcontractors.

“The leadership and Board of Directors at Mississippi Power deserve tremendous credit for their commitment to bring renewable power to southeast Mississippi,” Silicon Ranch President and CEO Matt Kisber said. “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.”

“All of us at the Area Development Partnership want to thank Mississippi Power for its vision and commitment to bring low-cost, renewable power to southeast Mississippi,” Area Development Partnership of Greater Hattiesburg President Chad Newell said. “We also want to thank our newest corporate citizen Silicon Ranch for investing $100 million to build, own, and operate a world-class solar facility in our community.”

This is the third solar generating facility that Mississippi Power and its partners have brought online this summer, and the second in the Pine Belt region:

• On July 7, Mississippi Power and D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments, L.L.C. opened a 52 MW facility near Sumrall.
• On July 11, Mississippi Power and Hannah Solar opened a 3-4 MW solar facility at the Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport.

Last month, the Mississippi Public Service Commission unanimously approved a 52.5 MW solar facility in Lauderdale County that will be another partnership between Mississippi Power and Silicon Ranch.

With nearly 160 MW of approved solar generation, Mississippi Power is the state’s largest partner in providing renewable energy.

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 Southeast 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.

About the Area Development Partnership (ADP)

The Area Development Partnership (ADP) is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for citizens of Greater Hattiesburg through community and economic development. The ADP unites hundreds of individuals, businesses and organizations, creating a unique agency working to enhance the region’s economy and build a better community. The ADP’s economic development portfolio includes business recruitment, retention and expansion, project management, government relations, small business loans, and more. Information about the ADP is available at www.theADP.com.

###