In short: Gulfport has about 74,600 people and sits in Harrison County. Mississippi Power Co, Coast Electric Power Assn and Singing River Elec Cooperative serves different parts of Harrison County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 13.46¢ to 14.47¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Harrison County hurricanes “very high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,380 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, which is good for solar.
This page covers what is local to Gulfport: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our Mississippi energy guide.
Gulfport at a glance
- Place: Gulfport, Harrison County, Mississippi; about 74,621 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: Mississippi Power Co (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 14.47¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 82 minutes of power on normal days and 124 counting major storms, with 0.9 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Gulfport).
- Utility: Coast Electric Power Assn (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 13.81¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 103 minutes of power on normal days and 277 counting major storms, with 1.4 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Gulfport).
- Utility: Singing River Elec Cooperative (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 13.46¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 169 minutes of power on normal days and 243 counting major storms (utility-wide, not just Gulfport).
- Sun: 4.74 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 2.66 in December to 6.36 in May (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,380 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 2,780 cooling degree-days and 1,570 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so air conditioning is the big load.
- Top hazards in Harrison County: hurricanes “very high”, lightning “very high” and tornadoes “relatively high” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively high”).
- Public charging: 35 ports at 10 locations in Gulfport, 16 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Mississippi Power Co is an investor-owned utility and served about 157,437 home customers in 2024; its 14.47¢ average was close to the 14.54¢ statewide average for July 2026. Coast Electric Power Assn is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 82,510 home customers in 2024; its 13.81¢ average was below the 14.54¢ statewide average for July 2026. Singing River Elec Cooperative is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 72,343 home customers in 2024; its 13.46¢ average was below the 14.54¢ statewide average for July 2026. Those are utility-wide averages, not a quote for your address; your own bill is the real number.
For reliability, Singing River Elec Cooperative reported 169 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, less than the statewide figure of 266 (EIA-861). Utility-wide numbers hide a lot: a home at the end of a long rural line usually has more outages than the average.
Net metering, export rates and incentives are set at state level and by each utility. Start with the Mississippi guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Gulfport
- Hurricanes (very high): Hurricanes can mean a week without power. A standby generator on natural gas or propane, or a battery with solar, beats a stack of gas cans; check flood height before you site equipment.
- Lightning (very high): Lightning causes short outages and damages electronics. Surge protection and a battery that switches over automatically protect the things you care about.
- Cooling load: an outage in Gulfport summer means no air conditioning. A central unit is a big load; a large battery system or standby generator can run it, while a smaller setup keeps fans, a window unit or a mini-split going.
- Short outages: a portable power station covers phones, Wi-Fi, a CPAP and lights; a home battery switches over automatically.
Size your setup with the generator sizing tool and the battery backup calculator, and compare options in backup power. Generator safety (CPSC): outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, exhaust away from doors and windows, never in a garage, and battery-powered carbon monoxide alarms inside. A licensed electrician should install any transfer switch, with a permit; see generator installation.
Solar in Gulfport
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,380 kWh a year in Gulfport (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Mississippi Power Co’s 2024 average of 14.47¢, that is about $200 a year per kW if all of it offsets your own use (an estimate, not a promise). Production swings with the seasons: May is the sunniest month at 6.36 and December the dimmest at 2.66, a 2.4-to-1 gap.
Check your own roof with the solar potential tool, see solar costs and net metering vs net billing, and read the steps in solar installation. Hail and storm exposure are worth raising with installers and your insurer.
Batteries and EV charging
A home battery earns its place when outages are frequent, when your utility pays little for exported solar, or when evening prices are high; compare in home batteries and battery costs. Gulfport has 35 public charging ports in the federal station list including 16 DC fast, but home charging is cheaper and easier: see the EV charging cost calculator and EV charger installation.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Gulfport: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
Solar, generator transfer switches and EV chargers normally need an electrical permit from the Gulfport building or permitting department, or from Harrison County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Gulfport, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the Mississippi guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: Biloxi, or the whole Mississippi energy guide.
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Gulfport energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Gulfport?
Mississippi Power Co, Coast Electric Power Assn and Singing River Elec Cooperative all serve parts of Harrison County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (Mississippi Power Co 14.47¢, Coast Electric Power Assn 13.81¢, Singing River Elec Cooperative 13.46¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Gulfport?
About 1,380 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 8,280 kWh. Shade, roof direction and tilt change this; run your address through the solar potential tool for a better number.
Is a generator or a battery better for hurricanes in Harrison County?
It depends how long the outage lasts. A battery is quiet, automatic and good for short outages and for pairing with solar; a standby generator keeps going as long as it has fuel, which suits multi-day events. Many homes use a battery for everyday outages and add a generator for the rare long one.
Can solar and a battery run my air conditioner during an outage?
Yes if the system is sized for it. A central air conditioner needs a large battery or generator, so many people back up one room or a mini-split instead. Use the battery backup calculator to see the runtime for your appliances.
Do I need a permit for solar or a generator in Gulfport?
Almost always an electrical permit for a transfer switch, solar or an EV charger, issued by the city or county where you live. Your licensed electrician or installer normally pulls it. Never connect a generator to your house wiring without a transfer switch.
Sources: EIA Form 861 (2024) for utility prices and outages; NASA POWER climatology (2001 to 2025) for sun and degree-days; FEMA National Risk Index for county hazards; AFDC station locator for public charging; Census Bureau for population. Estimates are ours and are not promises; see our editorial policy. Prices and programs change, so check each program page.