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Wind Power News: New Mexico
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational effort to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Tri-State makes solar, wind energy plan
Sangre de Cristo Electric Association’s wholesale electricity provider, Tri-State Generation, filed a plan with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission at the end of last year that states the wholesaler would double its solar and wind resources by 2030. Last year, the wholesaler released its responsible energy plan, which promises to close its coal power plants in New Mexico and Colorado by 2030. “It’s very impressive, and they’re intent on fulfilling it,” said association CEO Paul Erickson. “Now, it is a . . . Complete story »
Pattern Energy moves forward on wind farms, transmission line through New Mexico
The transmission line is a collaboration between Pattern Energy and the New Mexico Renewable Energy Transmission Authority and is being constructed in conjunction with the wind farms. Upon its acquisition of the transmission line, PNM will operate it after its commissioning, according to a release. Sister publication the Houston Business Journal reported in November 2019 that Pattern had an agreement in place to sell it to Public Service Co. of New Mexico for about $300 million. The publication also reported that the transmission line will enable more than $1 billion of wind farm projects. Complete story »
Questionable energy decisions
Let me get this straight – New Mexico touts the opening of a massive 522 megawatt wind farm at a cost of about $900 million to power about 385,000 customers when the wind blows, with a life span of 25 years and an environmental footprint of 156 square miles, while it rejects an El Paso Electric proposal to build a 228 megawatt natural gas power plant at $160 million dollars to help meet future demand and to provide reliable back-up power . . . Complete story »
New Mexico’s renewable energy sector growing in rural areas, local seek to capitalize
Renewable energy could stimulate some of New Mexico’s most rural areas and economic development leaders sought to embrace the sector to diversify economies and provide local jobs. In a panel hosted last week by Powering New Mexico, an initiative led by the American Wind Energy Association to promote the renewable sector, leaders of local economic organizations in southeast and northern New Mexico discussed how solar and wind energy developments have strengthened their economies and what needs to be done to . . . Complete story »
Renewable roadmap
New Mexico State University is leading a new initiative to help local communities tap into the state’s emerging green energy economy to promote business development and job creation. The Innovation and Commercialization for a Regional Energy Workforce, or iCREW project, is funded by a $750,000 grant from the U.S Economic Development Administration, with $750,000 more in matching, in-kind contributions by NMSU entities and other partners involved in the project. That includes the New Mexico-based North American Intelligent Manufacturing Initiative, which . . . Complete story »
NM wind energy development surges forward
Pattern Energy will break ground this fall on a 1,000-megawatt complex of wind farms in central eastern New Mexico, as well as a new 150-mile transmission line to carry those electrons to Western markets. Pattern’s Western Spirit Wind Development project represents about a $1.5 billion investment that will generate some 1,000 construction jobs over the next year and more than 150 permanent jobs, according to the company. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg in Pattern’s plans for the . . . Complete story »
Wind power could become king in Corona
A vast sea of wind turbines is in the works for hundreds of thousands of acres near Corona and surrounding Lincoln, Guadalupe and Torrance counties that could more than double the wind power generation in New Mexico and provide enough electricity for every home in the state. San Francisco-based Pattern Energy Group is poised to develop some 3,000 megawatts of wind power in the Corona area, 113 miles south of Santa Fe. New Mexico has installed wind capacity of 1,952 MW, . . . Complete story »
Commissioner Richard approves Western Spirit Wind Development project
Commissioner of New Mexico Public Lands, Stephanie Garcia Richard, executed five leases for the Western Spirit Wind development to Pattern Renewables announced in a news release on June 4. The winning bid in February at a public auction granted the company the right to develop the land. The project will see a 76 megawatt wind farm built on 16,442 acres located in Torrance and Lincoln counties. Pattern paid the State Land Office $395,000 in up-front bids as a requirement of . . . Complete story »
New Mexico official inks leases for Western Spirit wind farm
The Land Office is currently processing over 40 applications for solar and wind projects on state trust land. Complete story »
Sagamore Wind Project: Wow, 25 years
The New Mexico Energy Transition Act (ETA), passed as law in 2019, requires that all electricity generation has to be zero-emission by 2050. Recently Xcel Energy said, “Our billion-dollar Sagamore Wind Project hit a recent construction milestone, and topped out the first of 240 wind turbines [with a natural gas power plant backup]. The project will generate enough electricity to power 194,000 homes annually while saving customers tens of millions of dollars and reducing carbon emissions [over the next 25 . . . Complete story »
