The 2021 passage of New Mexico’s Community Solar Act opened the southwest state’s solar market and advanced clean energy accessibility for New Mexicans. The program mandated that 30% of new projects be reserved for low-income subscribers, creating economic benefits to ratepayers across the state’s utility jurisdictions as the 21st U.S. state to adopt community solar.
This week InClime Solutions, a veteran-owned business that vets U.S. renewable energy and energy efficiency incentive programs, announced 200 MW of projects selected for inclusion in the next slate of New Mexico’s community solar program out of 1.7 GW of project submissions.
Six projects are in the El Paso Electric service area, which includes the Las Cruces, Hatch, N.M. and west of El Paso, Texas region of New Mexico. Another 10 projects were selected in the Southwestern Public Service Company service area, toward the southeast of the state. Elsewhere, 29 projects were selected to be developed in Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM Resources) territory, a broader territory that includes the major cities of Albuquerque and Santa Fe, as well as Rio Rancho, Alomogordo and Cliff, N.M. in other parts of the southwestern state.
Project developers have a June 21 deadline for project submission to the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (PRC). Selected projects must pay a $2,500 per MWac project fee within 30 days of receiving notification of selection.
The PRC received more than 400 community solar project applications totaling more than 1.7 GW of clean energy capacity..
Select projects, developers or engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors and locations advancing in the program include:
El Paso Electric bids
- Chaparral 1 Solar (5 MW) – Sunvest Solar, OE Solar, Chaparral, N.M.
- Lower Rio Grande Solar (5 MW) – CVE North America, Vado, N.M.
- SLT Las Cruces (5 MW)- Pluma Construction, Las Cruces, N.M.
- Wings for Life Community Solar (5 MW) – Affordable Solar Group, Las Cruces
- Bent Bow Solar (4.98 MW) – Energy Management, Inc., Salem, N.M.
Southwestern Public Service bids
- Cannon Solar (5 MW) – SynerGen Solar, Clovis, N.M.
- Clovis Concrete North (5 MW) – Pluma Construction, Clovis, N.M.
- Clovis IV Solar (5 MW) – Sunvest Solar, OE Solar, Clovis, N.M.
- Dougherty (Rayroux) Solar (5 MW) – New Energy Equity, PPC Solar, Carlsbad, N.M.
- Oasis Sol Community Garden (5 MW) – Sunshare, Portales, N.M.
PNM bids
- Atari Solar (5 MW) – SynerGen Solar, Alomogordo, N.M.
- Gonzo Sol Community Solar Garden (5 MW) – Sunshare, Clayton, N.M.
- Homewise Community Solar (5 MW) – Affordable Solar Group, Albuquerque, N.M.
- SLT Grant (5 MW) – Pluma Construction, Silver City, N.M.
- Trigo Sol Community Solar Garden (5 MW) – Sunshare, Rio Communities, N.M.
Each New Mexico utility’s service territory has a waitlisted queue of more than 205 MW of projects should the selected developers not commit to the project deadline going forward. About 30.7 MW of projects are queued in El Paso territory, 45.75 MW of projects in Southwestern territory, and about 129.5 MW of projects in PNM’s territory.
The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission is contracted with InClime to oversee the community solar program.
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