Nashville-based Silicon Ranch Corporation is investing $100 million in a solar energy plant in Lauderdale County, with Mississippi Power Co., as its sole customer.

The Mississippi Public Service Commission on Thursday OK'd a 52.5-megawatt plant in Lauderdale County, which should be up and running by December 2019. The plant will have 570,000 photovoltaic solar panels generating enough electricity to power about 8,000 homes.

According to Tony Smith, renewable projects manager for Mississippi Power Co., energy generated at the facility will be added to the power grid, and "from there it will go wherever the demand is."

"Once that energy is on the grid, that puts downward pressure on rates for all Mississippi Power customers," Smith said.

According to a Mississippi Power press release, Silicon Ranch Meridian III, a subsidiary of Silicon Ranch, will construct, own and operate the plant.

Smith said the facility will be built on a parcel of land about six miles southwest of Naval Air Station Meridian.

"This is a large solar project - relatively speaking - it will encompass several hundred acres," Smith said.

Mississippi Power will purchase the power "below the company's avoided cost over the 25-year life of the Power Purchase Agreement," the release said.

This project is not a part of the 6-megawatt solar plant at NAS Meridian, but it will "help support the Navy's objective of strengthening grid resiliency and reliability," the release said.

"This partnership with Silicon Ranch will help Mississippi Power continue to support the expansion of solar generation in the state of Mississippi," said Mississippi Power President and CEO Anthony Wilson. "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."

The Lauderdale County facility will increase Mississippi Power's solar capacity to 160 megawatts. It will be the fourth solar energy plant in the service area.

"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," the release said.

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