The Entergy (NYSE:ETR) utility in Mississippi dedicated the 500 kW Hinds solar pilot project on May 10 as the third leg of its ‘Bright Future’ program to study solar potential in the state.
The Hinds solar site is a ground-mounted system that tracks the sun’s movement throughout the day to produce up to 500 kW of electricity. It is part of a pilot project to collect data and help determine the economics and feasibility of solar generation in Mississippi, the company said in a news release.
The solar pilot is located at the Hinds natural gas plant on land in front of the plant that Entergy owns near Jackson, Mississippi.
“This installation, along with ones in Lincoln and DeSoto Counties, are the first-ever utility-owned projects in the state,” said Entergy Mississippi President and CEO Haley Fisackerly. “Soon, these three sites will give us answers to questions that will help us prepare for the future.”
The three sites combined will produce 1.5 MW of electricity (500 kW each), which is enough electricity to power the equivalent of 175 homes. All three sites include real-time data monitoring linked to Entergy Mississippi’s website at entergy-mississippi.com/solarproject/. While the Hinds solar site is a tracking system, the DeSoto and Lincoln sites are fixed-tilt arrays.
The Bright Future pilot solar system is part of the Bright Future plan, a blueprint for Mississippi’s electric service needs through 2025. Approved by the Mississippi Public Service Commission, the plan is designed to improve reliability and modernize the grid.
An Entergy utility already has a utility-scale solar project in the pipeline in Arkansas. Entergy also has a 1-MW solar pilot project in the works in New Orleans.
