Energy

HB 186 extends the deadline for repealing rules governing energy efficiency service contracts in Mississippi. It clarifies that public entities - including schools, hospitals, and state agencies - can use any available funding sources to enter into these contracts. The bill specifically updates Section 31-7-14 to maintain existing contract terms for energy efficiency projects (like HVAC upgrades or lighting systems) that were already competitively bid. It ensures these agreements, which may include shared-savings or performance-based payments, remain valid beyond the original expiration date. The change focuses on administrative continuity, not altering contract requirements or funding eligibility.

SB 3166 requires Mississippi's Department of Revenue to create a separate category for commercial solar and wind facilities in its annual inflation factor table for industrial property assessments. This directly affects owners of commercial solar and wind energy facilities by changing how their property value is calculated for ad valorem taxes. The bill mandates that if Marshall Valuation Service doesn't provide an inflation factor for these facilities in a given year, the Department must set it at 1.000 (meaning no adjustment). This ensures these facilities are assessed using a dedicated multiplier rather than being grouped with other industrial properties, potentially lowering their tax burden compared to the previous system.