El Paso Electric files for community solar program in New Mexico
El Paso Electric (EPE) filed recently with the New Mexico Public Regulatory Commission (NMPRC) for approval of a new Community Solar Program in New Mexico.
The proposed program would enable the utility’s New Mexico customers to subscribe, on a voluntary basis, to solar generation from a new two megawatt (MW) solar facility. The facility would be located near the intersection of highway I-10 and I-25 in Doña Ana County and be constructed, owned, and operated by EPE.
The filing also proposes reserving two kilowatts (kW) of solar capacity for a low-income customer option. The option would provide qualified customers with a 10 percent discount on the Community Solar capacity charge.
“We’ve been very happy with the success of the Community Solar Program in Texas, and we look forward to bringing this program to our New Mexico customers,” Mary Kipp, president and CEO of El Paso Electric, said. “Community Solar is a way to give our customers another option for investment in renewable energy, and by proposing a low-income solution, access to renewable energy is now truly available to all residents and businesses in New Mexico.”
The program would be available to all New Mexico customers without distributed generation, including homeowners, renters, and business owners. The subscription is portable anywhere within EPE’s New Mexico service territory.
The program would allow customers to subscribe to solar generation in one kW blocks for which they would pay a fixed rate of $18.55 per kW, with solar and fuel credits offsetting the price. Low-income customers would pay $16.52 per kW, reflecting the 10 percent discount. The rate would be fixed as long as customers remain in the program, and customers who leave the program would not incur a penalty.
