New Mexico approves 50 MW public-private solar project
USA, New Mexico: The solar project with a price tag of up to $60 M was approved last week by the state’s Public Regulation Commission.
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USA, New Mexico: The solar project with a price tag of up to $60 M was approved last week by the state’s Public Regulation Commission.
New Mexico regulators have approved the solar facility to be developed on the Jicarilla Apache Nation under a public-private partnership, Kallanish Energy reports.
It would be the first tribal-owned, utility-scale solar facility in the United States, reported the Albuquerque Journal newspaper.
The project involves the Apache tribe and electric utility Public Service Co. of New Mexico (PNM).
It is the first collaboration between PNM and its customers to develop renewable energy, officials said.
The PNM Direct Solar program is expected to begin service in March 2021 and will provide renewable electricity to three cities, two counties, a university, a school district and Walmart.
The city of Albuquerque will get about 55 % of its electricity from the new facility.
The facility will be built on about 1.6 km2 (400 acres) of tribal lands in Rio Arriba County northern New Mexico.
Building on tribal land will save money because a transmission line runs to the grid and there are no property taxes at Jicarilla, the newspaper said. It reported that the tribe will get $1.5 M in lease payments.
PNM, a subsidiary of PNM Resources, has about 530,000 electric customers in New Mexico.
Source: Kallanish Energy