Mississippi’s Upfront Distributed Solar Incentive

The Mississippi Public Service Commission has approved a new net metering rule creating a $3,500 incentive for residents who install rooftop solar, per a July 2022 order. According to the new rule, at least 50% of the funds dedicated to the new program must go to low-income customers, and the incentive is potentially payable directly to the installer on proof of completion. The order also permits customers to aggregate multiple meters on a single property to share the potential benefits of rooftop solar, creates incentives for the installation of solar panels at Mississippi schools, and retains an existing 2 cent/kWh added incentive for low-income households that participate in net metering.

Mississippi does not offer one-to-one net metering, and solar installations have lagged in the state. This ruling takes a novel approach to expanding the solar market in a jurisdiction with different net metering rules.