HINDS COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – After approval from the Hinds County Board of Supervisors, a solar farm is coming to the county.

Soul City Solar, which will be owned by Apex Clean Energy, will be located near Raymond and Bolton. Power producing panels will be installed along Sam Herring Road, Raymond Bolton Road, Champion Hill Road and elsewhere.

Raymond Mayor Isla Tullos said she became aware of the solar farm about six weeks ago. To her understanding, she said no guidelines are in place in the state or Hinds County that controls how solar farms are created.

Tullos asked for a one year delay from granting the permits requested by Apex.

“And take that time to investigate actually what what the benefits or the the downside of solar farming is and to create their own legislation and ordinance. And then that would give, that would give the state time to perhaps do the same thing when they had their next session, which is that until January of 2025,” Tullos stated.

The mayor said the decision won’t affect people living around the city at this time, but more solar farms could pop up as land continues to be leased directly around the city.

“That will affect how we look, because there won’t be a pretty wooded road to come to drive into downtown. Right now, we have woods, and we have fields, and it’s lovely,” she said.

After it’s approval, officials with Apex said the solar farm will generate a large tax revenue for Hinds County and that solar is one of the healthiest forms of energy on the planet.

On Wednesday, Mississippi Public Service Commissioners, Chairman Chris Brown, De’Keither Stamps and Wayne Carr, emphasized the importance of a thorough and rigorous approval process for solar projects in the state.

The commission is responsible for regulating public utilities in the state, as well as issuing certificates for electric generating facilities like solar farms. When considering applications for certificates of public convenience and necessity for solar farms, members said the commission conducts a thorough review process to ensure that the project meets certain criteria.

“The approval process is in place to ensure that solar projects in Mississippi meet the highest standards of safety, reliability and efficiency,” said Chairman Chris Brown of the Northern District. “We must guarantee that these projects serve the best interests of our citizens and align with our state’s energy goals.”

The commissioners encouraged solar developers and stakeholders to engage with them throughout the approval process.