Complete civil packages for utility solar across Mississippi: clearing, mass grading, access roads, collection trenching, SWPPP, fencing, and substation civil.
Backwell is a civil site work general contractor serving utility solar EPCs building in Mississippi. We contract complete civil packages: clearing, mass grading, access roads, trenching and underground utilities, erosion control and SWPPP, fencing, and substation civil, all under one contract with Backwell field leadership on site.
Utility-scale solar in Mississippi through 2026 to 2028 is driven mainly by Entergy Mississippi load growth tied to Amazon Web Services data centers in Madison County and Clinton, plus Tennessee Valley Authority procurement in the Golden Triangle region. Entergy has committed to roughly 650 MW of new renewable generation tied to the Amazon buildout, and its July 2026 renewable portfolio list shows three Mississippi solar projects still ahead: Greer Solar in Washington County targeted for 2026, Delta Solar in Bolivar County targeted for 2027, and Penton Solar in DeSoto County targeted for 2028. Wildwood Solar in Tallahatchie County has been in construction since early 2025 under a long term agreement with Entergy Mississippi. On the TVA side, Origis Energy is building and developing a four project, 750 MWac portfolio with 350 MW of storage in Lowndes and Clay counties, with the Optimist project reaching commercial operation in early 2026 and the Hope project targeted for the end of 2028. The work profile is Delta and blackland prairie sitework: clearing, mass grading, access roads, drainage and detention, erosion control, and substation and collector civil packages.
Solar EPCs and developers usually search by the county or the nearest town to the site. These are the Mississippi markets we cover:
We price the package as one scope under one contract, so the EPC has a single point of responsibility for the civil critical path instead of managing separate clearing, earthwork, and utility subcontracts.
Backwell superintendents, project managers, and lead operators run every site. We mobilize company equipment for the core scope and scale each project with leased production fleets, qualified regional subcontractors, and agency-placed field staff, all under Backwell supervision and a single contract.
Contractor licensing. Yes. Commercial civil sitework in Mississippi requires a Commercial Certificate of Responsibility from the Mississippi State Board of Contractors. Mississippi law makes it unlawful to contract or subcontract any portion of a public or private construction project equal to or exceeding $50,000 unless the contractor or subcontractor was duly licensed by the Board as of the date bids were submitted, so the license must be in hand before bid day, not at award. Applicants file a CPA reviewed or audited financial statement and hold the classification that matches the scope, and out of state firms must also be registered with the Mississippi Secretary of State.
Construction stormwater. Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), Environmental Permits Division, issues the Large Construction Storm Water General Permit, permit number MSR10, covering construction that disturbs five or more acres. Coverage is obtained by filing a Large Construction Notice of Intent (LCNOI) at least 30 days before construction starts, with a Certificate of Good Standing from the Mississippi Secretary of State dated within the prior 12 months. The property owner and the prime contractor carry joint and several responsibility for compliance, which puts the SWPPP, inspections, and BMP maintenance squarely on the civil contractor on a solar site. Backwell carries the SWPPP scope, installs and maintains the controls, keeps the inspection log, and closes the permit out with final stabilization.
Prevailing wage. Federal Davis-Bacon prevailing wage and registered apprenticeship requirements apply through the Inflation Reduction Act to qualifying projects of 1 MW alternating current and larger when the owner claims the increased credit rate, so certified payroll and apprentice ratio tracking are standard on Mississippi utility-scale solar even on privately owned sites. Mississippi does not layer a state prevailing wage law on top of that for construction contracts, and it is a right to work state, so the wage determination that governs is the federal one written into the EPC contract. Contractors should confirm the specific wage determination and apprenticeship language in each solicitation rather than assuming none applies. For projects claiming the full ITC or PTC, Backwell produces Davis-Bacon certified payroll, pays the applicable wage determination, and supports apprenticeship labor-hour compliance.
Send plans, a scope of work, and the schedule through the form below or call (315) 400-2654. We review the civil package, walk the site if it is at that stage, and return a scoped proposal with a schedule of values, stated fill allowances, and unit rates for overages. A one-page capability statement is available for prequalification files.
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