Energy (Solar)

SB 2333 requires Mississippi's Public Service Commission to study security threats to the state's electric grid, including electromagnetic pulse attacks and solar flares, and evaluate current grid vulnerabilities. The study must assess the need for security improvements and grid diversification, then propose specific measures to strengthen the system against damage. The Commission must submit a report with findings and legislative recommendations by December 1, 2026, and the process is exempt from public meeting and record laws due to security sensitivity. This bill is procedural, focusing on a security assessment rather than immediate policy changes.

SB 2249 would have authorized Mississippi's Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) to create rules governing the placement of large solar panel installations. It directly affects solar energy developers and property owners planning large-scale solar projects by requiring them to comply with MDEQ's placement regulations. The bill amended state law to explicitly grant MDEQ authority to regulate solar panel siting, including potential requirements for environmental reviews. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and was never enacted into law.

SB 2231 defines which energy sources count as "clean" for local government requirements on public utilities. It explicitly lists 18 permissible sources, including solar, wind, nuclear, natural gas, hydrogen, waste-to-energy, and geothermal, ensuring local governments (like cities or counties) cannot restrict utilities to only specific types. The bill applies to any political subdivision imposing clean energy rules on utilities, requiring them to accept any of the listed sources. It would have taken effect July 1, 2025, but died in committee in February 2025.

SB 3166 requires Mississippi's Department of Revenue to create a separate category for commercial solar and wind facilities in its annual inflation factor table for industrial property assessments. This directly affects owners of commercial solar and wind energy facilities by changing how their property value is calculated for ad valorem taxes. The bill mandates that if Marshall Valuation Service doesn't provide an inflation factor for these facilities in a given year, the Department must set it at 1.000 (meaning no adjustment). This ensures these facilities are assessed using a dedicated multiplier rather than being grouped with other industrial properties, potentially lowering their tax burden compared to the previous system.