[penci_blockquote style=”style-1″ align=”none” author=”Dane Maxwell” font_weight=”400″ text_size=”28″]“Construction of the facility at no cost to ratepayers providing a significant impact to the County and power to the grid makes this is a win all the way around.”[/penci_blockquote]
At a hearing following the Public Service Commission Open Meeting, Chairman Dane Maxwell drafted an Order to approve an $80 million solar project for Hancock County. The Moonshot Solar project will serve as a reliable, cost-competitive source of renewable energy for Mississippi customers in the surrounding community for over 35 years of useful life.
“I’m pleased to see this project move forward and the opportunity it presents to Hancock County,” Maxwell said. A company called Pine Gate Renewables out of Asheville, NC, along with other private partners are overseeing construction of both facilities and both will be totally funded at no cost to ratepayers.
The Moonshot project will provide direct and indirect economic benefits to the state, county, and surrounding areas in the form of taxes (sales and ad valorem), jobs, and other related impacts. Construction of the facility is expected to span roughly one year and will generate approximately 300 jobs during construction, and approximately five full-time jobs over the lifetime of the project and completed facility.
The planned facility is a 78.5 megawatt electric generating station delivering wholesale power directly to the Mississippi Power Company/Southern Company transmission grid.
