Solar power plant

In early 2015 Mississippi Power and Strata Solar announced plans to build a 50 megawatt solar power plant in Hattiesburg at the industrial park at a cost of about $100 million (about $2/watt) (the Kemper County power plant, by comparison, is expected to produce about 582 megawatts at a cost of $7.1 billion, or about $12.20/watt) ). Later the location of the proposed solar power planned was changed to a 460 acre site along Bonhomie Road due to concerns about potential glare shining at aircraft flying near the Hattiesburg airport. The Hattiesburg city council approved the project on October 20, 2015, and the Mississippi Public Service Commission approved the project on November 10.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the Lake Terrace Convention Center on April 27, 2016. The plant held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 15, 2017.