Written by Dean Mahmoud, CEO, and checked by Trevor Guilday, founder.Prices from the September 2026 Cost Index. Export credits read September 30 and October 1, 2026. Updated October 14, 2026.
A typical Mississippi system is about 9.12 kW and costs about $23,621 cash at $2.59 per watt. With Entergy Mississippi it pays back in about 24.3 years at the standard 6.1¢ export credit, or 21 years if your household qualifies for the 8.1¢ lower-income credit.
Free for you. Solar providers pay us when you ask for quotes. How we make money
Mississippi does not swap a kWh sent out for a kWh bought. Solar power your home uses as it is made saves your full price. Each kWh that leaves your home earns a smaller credit, and your household income can raise it by 2¢.
| Export credit (Schedule NEM-2, from February 2026) | Saved in year one | Left after upkeep | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.1¢, with the lower-income adder | $1,400 | $1,127 | 21.0 years |
| 6.1¢, standard credit | $1,244 | $971 | 24.3 years |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
The 2¢ adder is worth about $156 a year on this system and takes about 3.4 years off the payback. A home that uses more of its solar power as it is made gains more than either credit can add.
The Public Service Commission (PSC), the state utility regulator, pays lower-income households more for the solar power they send out. It applies at Entergy Mississippi and Mississippi Power only.
Total household income at or below this line qualifies.
225% of the $33,000 poverty level. Smaller households have a lower line.
For your primary residence only.
The state rule does not reach them.
The PSC rule binds only Entergy Mississippi and Mississippi Power, which serve about 4 in 10 Mississippi homes. Co-ops and TVA local power companies set their own terms.
8.1¢ with the lower-income adder, on bills from February 2026. Serves about 29% of Mississippi homes. Home systems up to 20 kW and no more than 110% of last year’s use.
Next: ask for savings priced at 6.1¢, or 8.1¢ only if you qualify.
6.01¢ on July to October bills, 5.59¢ from November to June, under Rate RENM-3 Option A. 7.59¢ to 8.01¢ with the lower-income adder. Serves about 12% of Mississippi homes.
Next: ask which option the quote uses, A or the time-of-day option B.
Co-ops such as Coast Electric and Singing River buy extra power through Cooperative Energy at 4.5¢. TVA-supplied companies, such as 4-County Electric, Tupelo and Starkville, about 27% of homes, sell it to TVA.
Next: get the price and any solar charges in writing.
| Utility | Standard | Lower income |
|---|---|---|
| Entergy Mississippi | 6.1¢ | 8.1¢ |
| Mississippi Power, July to October bills | 6.01¢ | 8.01¢ |
| Mississippi Power, November to June bills | 5.59¢ | 7.59¢ |
| Cooperative Energy co-ops | 4.5¢ | No adder |
| TVA local power companies | Ask | No adder |
At Entergy Mississippi, Mississippi Power and Cooperative Energy co-ops, your renewable energy certificates (RECs), the proof that your power came from solar, go to the utility. A quote that counts REC income is wrong for these customers.
The avoided-cost part of the credit moves. Entergy files a new figure with the PSC by November 15 each year, and Mississippi Power’s current figures come from a bulletin dated January 20, 2026. Both programs are first come, first served up to 3% of the utility’s peak demand. Cooperative Energy’s rate sheet is dated January 1, 2025, and it can change the rate with 30 days’ written notice.
Entergy’s 6.1¢ is about 46% of the 13.21¢ its homes paid on average in 2024. A kWh used at home saves more than one sent out.
The September 2026 benchmark, $0.30 below the US average and fifth lowest of 50 states and DC. These are modeled cash prices, not quotes we collected.
| System size | Cash at $2.59 per watt | kWh a year |
|---|---|---|
| 5 kW | $12,950 | 7,130 |
| 7 kW | $18,130 | 9,982 |
| 9.12 kW (typical) | $23,621 | 13,005 |
| 12 kW | $31,080 | 17,112 |
Ads and older guides mention cash payments for Mississippi solar. None of them lowers the price of a new system today.
The lower-income and battery payments in Rate RENM-I are marked suspended on its rates page.
Still in Entergy’s rate sheet, but its net metering page and form do not mention them. Ask Entergy in writing.
The Department of Revenue’s tax credit list, Form 80-401, has none for home solar.
Not for a system you own placed in service after December 31, 2025.
Mississippi incentives in fullWhat no-cost solar offers mean in Mississippi
Not ranked. Two hold an active Mississippi commercial contractor certificate that includes Solar and Wind Construction, checked October 13, 2026. We found no Mississippi license record for the third. Other facts from their own sites, read October 13 and 14, 2026.
The order is alphabetical. Mississippi Power tells customers to confirm that an installer holds a Solar and Wind Construction license; you can search any contractor in the Mississippi State Board of Contractors search. How we make money.
Ask each installer which credit its savings use, and whether it checked your household for the 2¢ adder.
Check your Mississippi solar creditEcoGen America does not sell or install solar. When you request quotes, we pass your request to solar providers serving your area, and they pay us for the introduction. Providers can include installers, solar marketplaces and lead exchanges, and more than one may contact you. You never pay us. Privacy policy
CEO of EcoGen America. Since 2021 he has connected homeowners with residential solar installers in all 50 states.
About Dean
Founder of EcoGen America. He has worked in residential solar since 2016 and maintains the EcoGen Solar Cost Index.
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