More than three years after New Mexico passed its community solar act, New Mexico first community solar project will soon begin delivering clean energy to the grid.
Developed by Affordable Solar, the project is named for the non-profit organization Cuidando Los Niños, which provides critical services for children and families experiencing homelessness. Affordable Solar donated $45,000 to the nonprofit as part of the celebration of the project’s completion.
Located in Valencia County, the solar project was built in partnership with New Mexico’s Gridworks, an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firm.
The project is one of seven Affordable Solar was awarded across New Mexico, which total 35 MW.
Dylan Connelly, project developer at Affordable Solar, previously told pv magazine USA that all seven of the installations feature First Solar Series 6 Modules on PV Hardware’s Axone Due Infinity single axis trackers with Solectria XGI 1500-250-Series-DCG inverters.
“We selected equipment with domestic content to meet the IRA requirements for domestic content,” Connelly said.
Passed in 2022, New Mexico’s Community Solar Act allows for community solar interconnection up to 200 MW in capacity, split by utilities. The regulation stipulates that 30% of electricity produced by a community solar facility be earmarked for low-income subscribers.
However, instead of 30%, the Cuidando Los Niños project reserved 50% of its electricity for low-income households.
After New Mexico opened its program to developers to apply to, the program was flooded with applicants.
However, community solar installations were stalled when three investor-owned electric utilities challenged the state’s community solar program. Projects began to move forward, however, in March 2024 when the New Mexico Supreme Court ruled against the utilities and upheld the community solar regulations.
Low-income households can sign up for free and will save around 20% on their electric bills with no long-term contracts, Connelly said.
For non-low-income subscribers, New Mexico utilities charge an administrative fee, but according to subscription provider Solstice, which handled the project’s subscriptions, this fee is always less than the value of your solar credits, guaranteeing subscribers save money.
However, the Cuidando Los Niños project is fully subscribed.
A University of New Mexico study found that community solar will:
- Generate $517 million in economic benefits;
- Create 3,760 high-quality jobs in various sectors over the next 5 years; and
- Generate over $2.9 million in tax revenues annually for the state that is funded by private companies without requiring increased taxes or state investment.
The study also concluded that each county in New Mexico would benefit from $15 million in economic output and 117 new jobs over a 20-year period.
“This project proves that community solar works,” said Cory Felder, Mountain West regional director for the Coalition for Community Solar Access in a statement. “It delivers affordable power, local investment, and community benefits in a way no other clean energy program can. New Mexico has been working toward this moment for years, and today we’re proud to see the vision becoming reality.”
Affordable Solar has been in business since 1997 and has more than 3,000 solar arrays in New Mexico, according to the company. Affordable Solar said it has supplied more than 20,000 systems to commercial, industrial, scientific, community and residential customers in 96 countries.
(Also read: Wisconsin Republican lawmakers push for community solar bill after utility pushback)
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