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Community Solar Program Tie Breaking Event on May 1

Solar panel farm

What is Community Solar?

Community solar programs promote participation in renewable energy solutions by allowing qualified electric utility customers to purchase shares in a solar facility to offset monthly energy consumption, often via a credit on their monthly utility bills or by purchasing or leasing a portion of the solar panels in an array.

The community solar program in New Mexico is still under development. The Community Solar Act, or SB84, was signed into law in April 2021 by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.

A community-based solar project could benefit individuals, businesses, nonprofits and other groups, who don’t have access to energy from solar installations.

Community solar allows for equal access to the economic and environmental benefits of solar energy generation regardless of the physical attributes or ownership of an individual’s home or business.

Recommendations to NM Policy Makers

Community Solar Order Adopting Rule

Order Partially Granting Five Motions for Rehearing (etc.)

Community Solar Rule, 17.9.573 NMAC, Effective July 12, 2022

Community Solar Act SB0084 (2021)

Community Solar Act PRC Presentation

Community Solar Act Fact Sheet PDF

Who Might Be Interested?

Multi-unit Residents or Renters. For qualified utility customers who live in a multi-unit dwelling and/or do not directly control the shared property or have roof space, or are unable to make home modifications.

Those affected by other factors:

  • Your roof requires significant investment before a PV system could be installed.
  • Your home’s location is shaded or your roof is oriented in such a way that it cannot receive adequate solar rays for a PV system.
  • Your home is on a circuit with high saturation of PV systems

Terms

Community solar program allows for the development of community solar facilities and provides customers of a qualifying utility with the option of accessing solar energy produced by a community solar facility;

Community solar facility means a facility that generates electricity by means of a solar photovoltaic device;

Subscribers to the facility receive a bill credit for the electricity generated in proportion to the subscriber’s share of the facility’s kilowatt-hour output;

Subscribing Organization owns or operates the solar facility.

Latest News

Community Solar Rule Adopted Press Release

Order Adopting Community Solar Rule

Community Solar Implementation Near-Term Timeline

Case Lookup – eDocket

For all filings regarding this rulemaking, please visit our eDocket system to look up the docket number 21-00112-UT.

EDOCKET

State Rules Act Required Postings

Postings required under the State Rules Act are located on the Rulemaking Proceedings page.

RULEMAKING PROCEEDINGS

For Investor-Owned Utilities

 

The following three links concern the issuance of the Commission’s order to New Mexico’s three investor-owned electric utilities to provide notice to current, future, and potential applicants for interconnection of community solar projects concerning the impact of the pending Community Solar Act rulemaking on such applications and the subsequent revision of the notice to provide greater detail for applicants (as well as to correct an issue with the utilities’ initial notices).

Order Regarding Pending Applications for Community Solar Interconnections During Rulemaking Proceeding

Issued June 15, 2021, Docket No. 21-00112-UT

Order Dismissing Complaint as Satisfied

Issued September 8, 2021, Docket No. 21-00190-UT

Revised Language for Notices from the Investor-Owned Electric Utilities, as per Order Dismissing Complaint as Satisfied

Issued September 8, 2021, Docket No. 21-00190-UT

Helpful Links

New Mexico Community Solar Program

For more information

U.S. Department of Energy Community Solar

For more information

Coalition for Community Solar Access

For more information

PNM

Community Solar Information

El Paso Electric Company

Community Solar Information