Location chosen for Entergy’s pilot solar project in DeSoto

bigstock-solar-energy-5775628-750x390HUGHES, Miss. (AP) – A location has been selected for a pilot solar project in DeSoto County.

The Commercial Appeal (http://bit.ly/1DzlV2r) reports vacant land at the northwest corner of U.S. 61 and the North Harrah’s casino entrance will serve as one of three testing sites for widespread solar power generation.

The project was announced by Entergy Mississippi, a publicly owned utility that supplies power to most of DeSoto.

Mara Hartmann, an Entergy spokeswoman, says the DeSoto project will be established at land Entergy already owns along the DeSoto-Tunica County line near casino row along U.S. 61.

The land was originally intended for a power plant, says Don Arnold, an Entergy spokesman.

Hartmann says the solar panels won’t take up all the property and that construction is expected to begin in about a month.