Explore Section
Renewable Energy
PNM
El Paso Electric
Xcel Energy (SPS)
Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE) webpage for NM
Renewable Energy Capacity in New Mexico
New Mexico Incentives for Customer-Owned Solar Photovoltaic Systems
Net Metering FAQs
New Mexico Public Regulation Commission and Renewable Energy in New Mexico
The Public Regulation Commission reviews and approves renewable energy procurement plans and reports of Investor Owned Utilities (“IOU’s”) and Rural Electric Cooperatives (“Coops”) pursuant to the Renewable Energy Act (“REA”), §§ 62-16-1 et seq. NMSA 1978 and Title 17.9.572 NMAC (“Rule 572”). IOU’s in New Mexico are procuring renewable energy and renewable energy certificates from New Mexico renewable generation facilities to meet the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) requirements of the REA and Rule 572.
Investor Owned Utilities and the RPS
The REA and Rule 572 established an RPS applicable to all investor owned electric utilities in New Mexico. In 2006, the RPS will be 5% of retail sales in kWh’s, reaching 10% by the year 2011. Recent legislative changes to the REA (SB418, signed March 5, 2007 by Governor Bill Richardson) have increased the RPS percentages and extended the time lines – IOU’s now must have in their portfolio as a percentage of total retail sales to New Mexico customers, renewable energy of no less than 15% (by 2015) and 20% (by 2020).
Resource Diversity and the RPS
In addition to the RPS, Rule 572 requires that IOU’s must offer a voluntary renewable energy program to their customers. In addition to and within the total portfolio percentage requirements, utilities must design their public utility procurement plans to achieve a fully diversified renewable energy portfolio as follows:
Diversity requirements for IOU’s as % of total RPS requirement:
No less than 30% Wind
No less than 20% Solar
No less than 5% Other technologies
No less than 1.5% Distributed Generation (2011-2014) and 3% Distributed Generation by 2015
Reasonable Cost Threshold
A public utility shall not be required to add renewable energy to its electric energy supply portfolio, pursuant to the renewable portfolio standard, above the reasonable cost threshold established by the Commission. The reasonable cost threshold in any plan year is 3% of plan year total revenues, beginning in 2013.
Rural Electric Cooperatives and the RPS
The recent changes to the REA also included expanding the RPS requirements to rural electric cooperatives. Renewable energy must comprise of no less than 5% of retail sales to New Mexico customers by 2015 and the RPS will increase at a rate of 1% annually until 2020, at which time the RPS will be 10%. In addition to the RPS, Rule 572 also requires that Coops must offer a voluntary renewable energy program to their customers provided their supplier makes renewable resources available.
RPS Compliance
2006 is the first compliance year for New Mexico IOU’s, meaning that IOU’s must demonstrate they have met the RPS requirements in their Renewable Energy Portfolio Reports to the Public Regulation Commission. These reports must be filed with the Public Regulation Commission by July 1 of each year. Compliance estimates by technology type are shown below:
IOU |
2011 Retail Sales (Actual, MWh) |
RPS % |
RPS Obligation (MWh) |
Generated (Total MWh) |
Year=2011 (Wind) |
Solar |
Biomass |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PNM |
|||||||
SPS |
|||||||
EPE |
IOU |
2010 Retail Sales (Actual, MWh) |
RPS % |
RPS Obligation (MWh) |
Generated (Total MWh) |
Year=2010 (Wind) |
Solar |
Biomass |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PNM |
9,090,828 |
6 |
497,915 |
565,829 |
552,242 |
13,587 |
– |
SPS |
4,366,190 |
6 |
261,971 |
739,488 |
739,243 |
245 |
– |
EPE |
1,646,976 |
6 |
98,819 |
102,791 |
96,323 |
1,001 |
5,467 |
IOU |
2009 Retail Sales (Actual, MWh) |
RPS % |
RPS Obligation (MWh) |
Generated (Total MWh) |
Year=2009 (Wind) |
Solar |
Biomass |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PNM |
8,867,533 |
6 |
509,103 |
539,821 |
533,289 |
6,532 |
– |
SPS |
4,116,931 |
6 |
247,016 |
642,593 |
642,584 |
9 |
– |
EPE |
1,602,769 |
6 |
96,166 |
126,642 |
85,802 |
24,942 |
15,898 |
IOU |
2008 Retail Sales (Actual, MWh) |
RPS % |
RPS Obligation (MWh) |
Generated (Total MWh) |
Year=2008 (Wind) |
Solar |
Biomass |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PNM |
9,162,354 |
6 |
503,401 |
581,179 |
577,506 |
3,673 |
– |
SPS |
4,168,103 |
6 |
250,086 |
768,677 |
768,677 |
– |
– |
EPE |
1,594,493 |
6 |
95,670 |
121,788 |
89,789 |
22,894 |
9,105 |
IOU |
2007 Retail Sales (Actual, MWh) |
RPS % |
RPS Obligation (MWh) |
Generated (Total MWh) |
Year=2007 (Wind) |
Solar |
Biomass |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PNM |
8,726,294 |
6 |
502,755 |
502,321 |
500,560 |
1,760 |
– |
SPS |
4,106,037 |
6 |
246,362 |
687,911 |
687,911 |
– |
– |
EPE |
1,596,870 |
6 |
95,812 |
97,290 |
97,290 |
– |
– |
IOU |
2006 Retail Sales (Actual, MWh) |
RPS % |
RPS Obligation (MWh) |
Generated (Total MWh) |
Year=2006 (Wind) |
Solar |
Biomass |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PNM |
7,933,552 |
5 |
373,162 |
528,944 |
528,626 |
171 |
– |
SPS |
3,883,263 |
5 |
194,163 |
724,660 |
724,660 |
– |
– |
EPE |
1,537,449 |
5 |
76,872 |
78,320 |
78,320 |
– |
– |
Sources: EPE, PNM, SPS Rule 572 Compliance Filings, Annual Reports – Form 1.
Note: EPE purchased all wind RECs from PNM to meet the full RPS requirement for years 2006 and 2007.
Renewable Energy Certificate Tracking
The acquisition, sale or transfer, and retirement of any renewable energy certificates used to meet renewable portfolio standards on or after January 1, 2008 must be registered with the Western Renewable Energy Generation Information System (WREGIS). WREGIS is the Western Governors’s Association’s independent regional tracking system to provide data necessary to substantiate and support verification and tracking of renewable energy generation.
Annual Renewable Energy Portfolio Procurement Plans
Public utilities (IOU’s) must file with the Commission an annual portfolio procurement plan on July 1 each year. Rural Electric Distribution Cooperatives must file with the Commission by March 1 of each year, a report on its purchases and generation of renewable energy during the preceding calendar year. Rural Electric Distribution Cooperatives must also report to their membership, a summary of its purchases and generation of renewable energy during the preceding calendar year. Renewable energy plans and reports that public utilities file with the Public Regulation Commission are also required to be made available on the utility’s website. Below are links to the utility website where the most recently filed renewable energy plans and report documents are made available.
Public Service Company of New Mexico’s Regulatory Page
El Paso Electric’s Compliance with the New Mexico Renewable Energy Act and the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission Renewable Energy Rule 572
SPS (Xcel Energy): New Mexico Rates and Tariff Information
Renewable Energy Capacity in New Mexico
New Mexico has several utility scale renewable generation facilities. Below is a list of utility scale facilities in New Mexico.
Electric Utility or Coop |
New Mexico Wind Projects |
Location |
Date Online |
MW |
---|---|---|---|---|
PNM |
New Mexico Wind Energy Center* |
DeBaca & Quay Counties |
2003 |
204 |
PNM |
Red Mesa Wind Energy Center* Nextera Energy |
Cibola County |
2010 |
102 |
Western Farmers Electric Coop (OK) |
Brahms Wind Project (formerly Broadview Energy) |
Curry County near Grady |
2014 |
20 |
SPS |
Llano Estacado (Texico phase II) Cielo Wind Power |
Curry County |
2003 |
2 |
SPS |
Caprock phase I & II* Cielo Wind Power |
Quay County |
2004 & 2005 |
80 |
SPS |
San Juan Mesa* |
Roosevelt County |
2005 |
120 |
SPS |
High Lonesome Mesa* |
Torrance County |
2009 |
100 |
Arizona Public Service |
Aragonne Mesa* |
Guadalupe County |
2007 |
90 |
Tucson Electric Power |
Macho Springs Power |
Luna County |
2014 |
50 |
Exelon / LCEC Generation |
Wildcat Wind Ranch |
Lea County near Lovington |
2012 |
27 |
Anderson Wind Project |
Chaves County |
under construction By BayWa r.e. Wind LLC |
15 |
|
Guadalupe Mountains |
Chaves County |
under construction |
134 |
|
Roosevelt Wind Farm |
Roosevelt County |
under construction By EDF Renewable Energy |
250 |
|
El Cabo Wind Farm |
Torrance County near Willard |
pending by Iberdrola Renewables |
278 |
* projects are considered utility-scale with enough generating capacity for commercial viability
Electric Utility or Coop |
New Mexico Solar Projects |
Location |
Date Online |
MW |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mora-San Miguel Electric Coop |
Standard Solar |
San Miguel County |
May 2014 |
1.5 |
Otero County Electric Coop |
OCEC-owned |
Alamogordo substation, Otero County |
January 2014 |
76 kW |
Kit Carson Electric Coop |
KCEC-owned
Concentrated PV & PPAs |
Taos County |
2010 |
3 |
Kit Carson Electric Coop |
Owned by Washington Gas Energy RCCLA Amalia Solar Array 1 |
Taos County |
May 2012 |
1.5 |
Springer Electric Coop |
currently building one |
Colfax County |
estimate early 2015 |
1 |
Tri-State G&T |
Cimarron Solar Facility – First Solar |
Colfax County |
December 2010 |
30 |
Tri-State G&T |
Escalante Station- case study with Electric Power Research Institute |
McKinley County near Prewitt |
||
El Paso Electric |
Macho Springs Solar facility |
Luna County |
May 2014 |
50 |
El Paso Electric |
NRG Energy Roadrunner Solar Generating Facility |
Doña Ana County |
2011 |
20 |
El Paso Electric |
Hatch Solar Energy Center |
Doña Ana County |
2011 |
5 |
El Paso Electric |
Centennial Solar Farm – Sun Edison |
Doña Ana County |
May 2012 |
12 |
El Paso Electric |
El Chaparral Solar Farm |
Doña Ana County |
June 2012 |
10 |
El Paso Electric |
Rio Grande carport |
Doña Ana County |
2009 |
64 kw |
PNM |
Manzano Solar Energy Center 5 plants (Los Lunas, Deming, Alamogordo, Las Vegas, Albuquerque) |
Valencia, Bernalillo, San Miguel, Otero, and Luna Counties |
2011 & 2013 |
36.5 |
PNM |
La Luz Solar Energy Center |
Otero County |
December 2013 |
7.5 |
PNM |
Meadowlake Solar Energy Center |
Valencia County |
2014 |
9.1 |
PNM |
Sandoval County Solar Energy Center |
Sandoval County |
2014 |
6.1 |
PNM |
Cibola Solar Energy Center |
Cibola County |
2014 |
7.6 |
SPS / Xcel Energy |
Sun Edison solar project |
Lea and Eddy Counties |
2011 |
50 |
SPS / Xcel Energy |
NM Community Solar Project |
Curry, Lea, and Chaves Counties |
.1 |
|
Total Distributed Generated |
estimate across all IOUs and electric cooperatives |
various |
45 |
Other Renewable Energy Programs
While IOU’s are complying with the RPS through primarily power purchases from non-utility or independent power producers (“IPP’s”), there are other programs that purchase REC’s from customer sited photovoltaic installations of 10kW or less. One such program is PNM’s Small PV Program
Voluntary (Green Power) Programs
Investor Owned Utilities
As required by Rule 572, IOU’s must offer a voluntary renewable energy program to their customers. New Mexico’s three IOU’s programs are listed in the tables below with links to their program websites.
Investor Owned Utility |
El Paso Electric (EPE) |
---|---|
Program Title: |
|
Energy Source: |
Wind from Hueco Mountain Wind Ranch, located east of Horizon City, Texas Solar from Rio Grande PV installations, located in NM |
Programs Offered: |
Fixed Monthly Cost: $5.84 per month/ per 100kWh block (residential), $4.26 per month/ per 100kWh block (small commercial). Must commit to a one-year program subscription. |
2013 MWh: |
Participation: approximately 75 customers Sales: 907,740 kWh |
2012 MWh: |
Participation: approximately 75 customers Sales: 926,640 kWh |
2011 MWh: |
Participation: approximately 100 customers Sales: 950,900 kWh |
Investor Owned Utility |
Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) |
---|---|
Program Title: |
|
Energy Source: |
Wind (85%) from NM Wind Energy Center near Fort Sumner, NM Solar (15%) from solar panels located in Los Lunas, NM |
Programs Offered: |
Option 1: Fixed Monthly Cost $1.70 per 100kWh block above normal electricity cost, maximum number of blocks purchased cannot be greater than 90% of minimum monthly use in past 12 months. Option 2: Variable Monthly Cost $0.017 per kWh above normal electricity cost, can purchase between 1% – 90% of monthly electricity usage |
2013 MWh: |
Participation: approximately 3,600 residential, 100 non-residential customers Sales: 36,973 MWh |
2012 MWh: |
Participation: approximately 12,250 residential and 450 non-residential customers Sales: 84,805 MWh |
2011 MWh: |
Participation: approximately 13,000 residential and 450 non-residential customers Sales: 106,397 MWh |
Investor Owned Utility |
Southwestern Public Service |
---|---|
Program Title: |
|
Energy Source: |
Wind (100%) from Llano Estacado Wind Ranch, located in Texico, NM |
Programs Offered: |
Fixed Monthly Cost: $3.00 per month/ per 100kWh block, can purchase from one block per month up to 100% of electricity usage |
2013 MWh: |
Participation: approximately 850 residential and 100 non-residential customers Sales: 4,454 MWh |
2012 MWh: |
Participation: approximately 1000 residential and 100 non-residential customers Sales: 4,394 MWh |
2011 MWh: |
Participation: approximately 1,100 residential and 100 non-residential customers Sales: 5,505 MWh |
Rural Electric Cooperatives
As required by Rule 572, Coops must offer a voluntary renewable program to their customers to the extent that their energy suppliers make such renewable resources available. Sales for 2005 are shown below for 2005. For a website listing of the New Mexico cooperatives see the New Mexico Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s website. Currently Tri-State Generation & Transmission supplies energy to most New Mexico Coops, as well as green power for the Coops voluntary programs. Current rates for green power sold through Tri-State’s Renewable Energy Program are $1.25 per 100 kWh block. Check with the individual cooperative for program details.
Source: COOP Rule 572 compliance filings to the Public Regulation Commission for 2006 and 2007.
Links and Resources
For more information regarding the technologies, environmental initiatives, Federal and other regional programs to promote and support renewable energy technology and markets, please see the following links:
Western Renewable Energy Generation Information System (WREGIS)
Western Governors’s Association’s independent regional tracking system to provide data necessary to substantiate and support verification and tracking of renewable energy generation.
New Mexico Climate Change Advisory Group (CCAG)
Recognizing the profound implications that global warming and climate variation could have on the economy, environment and quality of life in the Southwest, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson signed Executive Order 05-033 on June 5th, 2005, establishing the New Mexico Climate Change Action Council and the New Mexico Climate Change Advisory Group (CCAG). The Climate Change Action Council shall review and provide recommendations to the Governor’s office regarding climate change policy.
Energy Conservation and Management Division (ECMD) of the NM Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department
ECMD is responsible for planning and administering energy efficiency and renewable energy technology programs.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is the DOE’s primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development.
U.S. EPA’s Green Power Partnership
The U.S. EPA’s Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program designed to reduce the environmental impact of electricity generation by promoting renewable energy.
U.S. Department of Energy - A Consumer’s Guide to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
U.S. Department of Energy Green Power Network
GPN provides news and information on green power markets and related activities. You will find up-to-date information on green power providers, product offerings, consumer issues, and in-depth analyses of issues and policies affecting green power markets.