Solarsite

Duke Energy's Three New 1 MW PV Plants in North Carolina

2011-11-17T06:08:00.001-05:00

Duke Energy has acquired three 1MW PV plants in North Carolina from ESA Renewables for an undisclosed sum.

Following the purchase, Duke now owns seven solar facilities in the state with a combined capacity of 11MW. The latest acquisitions are supported by ten year power purchase agreements with the Tennessee Valley Authority utility.

Duke has been investing more heavily in wind energy this year and in September the company unveiled plans to build a 202MW wind farm in Texas. The construction is part of a two stage development that will create a 402MW facility, set to be one of the largest in the US. Both sites of the Los Vienos project are expected to be complete by the end of next year.

In the same month, the company announced that it will build, own and operate a 69MW wind farm in Pennsylvania .

Swiss Company to Build Kauai Smart Grid

2011-10-21T15:55:00.001-04:00

Swiss energy monitoring and distribution company Landis+Gyr has been contracted by the Kunai Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) to distribute smart meters and infrastructure as part of a smart grid project on the island of Kauai in Hawaii.

KIUC is one of 23 electric cooperatives participating in a smart grid demonstration project designed to assist rural communities in implementing technologies that make the distribution grid more efficient and reliable. Landis will provide network technology designed to communicate with advanced meters, distribution devices and home area networking equipment. Around half of the project cost is being met by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.

Mike Yamane, KIUC chief of operations and lead engineer on the project, said, ‘New technology can ultimately result in our members saving money if we are able to better control our island’s energy demand and be able to defer investing in baseload conventional generation.’

Dave Connaker, vice president of sales at Landis+Gyr, added, ‘This project will enable KIUC and Landis+Gyr to further demonstrate the value of smart grid technology for improving operational and energy efficiency. Grid innovation also enhances reliability and gives consumers more options for managing their energy use.’

Earlier this month, a similar programme was announced for the Isle of Man in the UK with the local authority looking for innovators to trial their technology and the island of Bornholm in Denmark is also looking to pilot a smart grid solution.

PNM Introduces Alamogordo, New Mexico Solar Project

2011-10-20T10:45:00.003-04:00

New Mexico's largest electricity provider is celebrating the latest addition to its renewable energy portfolio — a 5 MW solar farm in Alamogordo. PNM says the 50-acre solar farm is made up of 78,000 PV panels. Over the course of a year, the panels are expected to generate enough electricity for about 1,600 average-sized New Mexico homes.

The Alamogordo Solar Energy Center is the fourth of five solar plants PNM will complete this year. The others are located in Albuquerque, Los Lunas, Deming and Las Vegas. The five plants will help the utility meet New Mexico's renewable energy portfolio standard, which requires that 10 percent of energy provided to customers come from renewable resources.

Cogenra to Launch PV, Solar Water Heating Project in Green Valley, Arizona

2011-10-19T16:22:00.002-04:00

The Tucson area will soon become home to a new solar-energy technology that combines photovoltaics and solar water heating to get the best of both worlds.

La Posada, a 700-resident retirement community in Green Valley, will soon install a system made by California-based Cogenra Solar that harvests sunlight to make both electricity and hot water.
The system will be the first of its kind in Arizona and one of a handful of systems installed by Cogenra since its founding about a year ago.

La Posada's system, expected to be installed around late November, will be comprised of two separate installations on the continuing-care community's campus at 350 E. Morningside Road.

Tucson Electric Power Incentives Cut

2011-10-19T16:20:00.000-04:00

Anyone who installs a rooftop solar system through the end of 2011 will get less money in upfront incentives from Tucson Electric Power than those who installed one earlier this year.

The Arizona Corporation Commission decided Tuesday that the power company's upfront incentive for rooftop systems should be set at 75 cents per watt for the rest of the year.

And it could stay at that level into next year if commission members agree with their own staff. The commission had approved an upfront incentive for TEP of $2 per watt for 2011. But in September, TEP notified the state's utility regulator and local installers it had run out of that cash.

Kalaeloa Solar Project Cleared to Begin

2011-10-19T16:15:00.002-04:00

Oahu's first utility-scale PV project is expected to begin delivering solar power to homes and businesses on the island next year, Hawaiian Electric Co. said Thursday. SunPower plans to break ground on the 5 MW project called Kalaeloa Solar II this year and complete it within five months, officials from the company said. The facility will be built on a parcel of land near Kapolei that SunPower is leasing from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.

The state Public Utilities Commission recently approved a PPA that allows HECO to buy electricity from SunPower over a 20-year period. The agreement marks the first time the PUC has approved a utility-scale photovoltaic project on Oahu. HECO is awaiting approval from the PUC for several other PPAs it has signed with companies seeking to build solar energy projects in West Oahu.

HECO will buy the power from SunPower at an average cost of 21.8 cents a kilowatt-hour over the 20-year life of the agreement. When HECO buys electricity from an independent producer such as SunPower, it passes the cost straight through to ratepayers with no markup. The rate HECO will pay SunPower compares favorably with the overall residential rate on Oahu, which hit a record 33.1 cents a kilowatt-hour in October.

El Paso Conference to Discuss Region Becoming a Solar, Wind, Geothermal Center

2011-10-19T16:11:00.001-04:00

A Washington, D.C., company's proposal to build a $200-million-plus test city somewhere in New Mexico and a proposal to put a renewable energy equipment certification center in El Paso are among several topics to be covered at two energy conferences in El Paso late this month.

The first Re-Energize the Americas energy conference will be Oct. 26-27 at the El Paso convention center. It will be scheduled in conjunction with the Texas General Land Office's 17th annual Border Energy Forum on Oct. 27-28 at the same location. The Re-Energize the Americas conference is aimed at shining a spotlight on the El Paso-Las Cruces-Juarez region to show that it has the natural, manufacturing and academic resources to become a center for developing solar, wind and geothermal energy sources and products, said Britt Porter, co-chairman of the conference.

About 250 to 300 business and government officials are expected to attend the joint conferences, Porter said.

Vermont Plans to Get 90% of Energy from Renewables by 2050

2011-10-19T12:50:00.002-04:00

Earlier this month, Ecogeek.com reported Vermont's Department of Public Service has released a new Comprehensive Energy Plan that raises its renewable energy target to 90% by 2050, a huge leap from the 25% by 2050 target set in 2008. The plan calls for a mix of new renewable energy projects, energy conservation, gains in residential and commercial energy efficiency, and developing plug-in vehicle infrastructure.

Vermont has the lowest energy demand in New England and also has no coal-fired power plants. The Vermont Yankee nuclear plant that supplies one-third of its electricity is closing next year, so the state is aggressively pursuing renewable energy, mainly solar and wind power, to replace it.

Hawaii: Attractive But with Barriers

2011-10-19T12:34:00.002-04:00

According to the most recent U.S. Solar Market Insight report by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association, installed solar PV capacity in Hawaii grew to 7.2 MW in the second quarter of 2011. Installations in both the residential and non-residential segments increased from the first quarter of the year to 3.7 MW and 3.0 MW, respectively.

According to GTM Research, Hawaii has the potential to emerge as one of the largest solar markets in the country. Retail electricity prices are high, with residential rates between $0.25 per kilowatt-hour and $0.35 per kilowatt-hour. Additionally, some state-level incentives are available, including a personal tax credit for PV and a feed-in tariff offered by the state’s investor owned utilities, Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO), Maui Electric Company (MECO), and Hawaiian Electric Light Company (HELCO).

However, grid penetration has been a primary barrier to growth in the state. Due to a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ruling, the Hawaiian Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has set a threshold of 15 percent of a utility circuit for intermittent renewables. Once this threshold is reached, the PUC requires a grid interconnection study to demonstrate that the additional installation will not negatively affect grid stability. The cost of this study in itself can be a deterrent to project development, especially for smaller installations. Penetration levels are being approached in a number of locations, including Kauai and some parts of Oahu.

Despite the issues surrounding grid penetration, continued growth is expected in the Hawaiian market through 2011, particularly in the residential sector, as leading solar lease providers move into the state.

Eaton to Supply Power Distribution Equipment to Arizona's Solana Solar Plant

2011-10-19T05:31:00.002-04:00

The Eaton Corporation announced this week an $8.1 million contract to provide electrical power distribution system equipment for Abengoa Solar’s 280 MW Solana Generating Station. Upon completion, this will be one of the largest solar power plants in the world. Located 70 miles southwest of Phoenix, the CSP plant will have the ability to store energy during non-sunlight hours to better meet the peak demand.

Under the contract, Eaton’s Electrical Sector will supply an Abengoa subsidiary with electrical power distribution assemblies for the project as well as engineering and consulting services. Eaton is a leader in electrical power distribution and delivers reliable, efficient and safe power distribution products for industrial and commercial applications worldwide.

Solana is expected to begin operation in 2013, and unlike a photovoltaic solar plant, which uses sunlight to produce electricity, the CSP solar trough technology utilizes trackers with high precision parabolic mirrors that follow the sun's path and concentrate its energy, heating a fluid to over 700 degrees Fahrenheit and using that heat to turn steam turbines. The solar plant will also include a thermal energy storage system that allows electricity to be produced as required, after the sun has set. APS will purchase all of the generated electricity from the plant’s owner, Abengoa Solar, for its customers.

Colorado's Infrastructure a Factor in GE Setting up PV Panel Factory

2011-10-19T05:04:00.002-04:00

Last week, GE announced that it plans to locate the nation's largest photovoltaic panel factory in Aurora, Colo. The 200,000 square-foot plant, which will cost $300 million to retrofit and will employ 355 workers, will produce thin-film photovoltaic panels using technology designed by PrimeStar Solar, a Colorado company GE purchased earlier this year.

When running at full capacity, the plant will make 400 megawatts worth of panels a year – enough to support the power demand of 80,000 homes.

According to eSolar Energy News, Colorado beat out 10 other states to land the investment, including New York, because of its strong workforce, proximity to one of GE's existing "centers of excellence" and availability of needed infrastructure.

In a press release from the company, Victor Abate, head of GE's renewable energy business said that the work the company has done with its Colorado-based solar team allowed them to "achieve efficiencies in our solar panels in record time."

In addition, "The Colorado location will allow us to deliver our technology roadmap faster and commercialize industry-leading panel efficiencies sooner," Abate said in the release.

Solar panels produced in GE's new Colorado factory will also be more efficient, lighter weight and larger than conventional thin film panels.

GE is the most recent win for Colorado in its long line of clean technology announcements. In the past two years, more than 20 solar and wind companies, including industry giants Vestas and SMA Solar Technology, have announced they would expand or relocate to the state.

The access to research and development is a key reason why Abound Solar, which just this year received a guaranteed loan of $400 million from the Department of Energy (DOE), is in the state.

Founded in 2007, Abound Solar is a spinoff of Colorado State University that, during its infancy, received support from NREL. Abound Solar's next-generation cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film modules use a proven technology that performs better than crystalline silicon in low light and high temperature conditions resulting in more energy produced per watt of capacity. Today, the company has grown to more than 350 employees in Colorado and plans to use the DOE loan to increase that number to 300 more at its existing manufacturing plant in Colorado.

Another company in the state that is using partnerships to help drive its commercial growth is Nokero, which designs affordable solar technologies for off-grid communities.

Short for "No Kerosene," Nokero was formed in June 2010 by Colorado inventor Steve Katsaros who was looking to develop safe and environmentally-friendly products that eliminate the need for harmful and polluting fuels used around the world and, most importantly, are affordable to the communities that need them.

BrightSource Announces Additional Three 250 MW Solar Plants at Rio Mesa

2011-10-18T05:22:00.002-04:00

This week BrightSource Energy announced plans to develop a further three 250MW solar plants in California. The plants will be located in Riverside County and collectively called the Rio Mesa project.

‘The Rio Mesa project will create thousands of jobs, and contribute hundreds of millions in economic benefits for Riverside County and the state of California, all while producing clean and reliable electricity for 300,000 California homes,’ said Stephen Wiley, senior vice president of US project development at BrightSource Energy. ‘This project will showcase BrightSource’s world-class solar thermal technology, and reflects our continued commitment to setting the bar for environmentally responsible solar power plant development.’

BrightSource Energy is best known as the developer of the Ivanpah complex in the Mojave Desert. Earlier this year, it finalized $1.6bn in loans guaranteed by the US DOE. Also financially involved in the project – set to be the largest solar power tower project in the world – is Google and NRG Energy.

The latest development plans are said to be a new record in ‘land efficiency’ as BrightSource has reduced the quantity of land needed to produce solar power by utilizing a higher tower and increased mirror density.

The Rio Mesa project will create approximately 2,500 construction jobs at the peak of construction and approximately 150 operations and maintenance jobs. Construction wages are expected to reach $660m, and operation and maintenance employee wages are estimated at an additional $410m over the plant’s first 25 years.

IIR Tracking $17.39 billion in Investment in Rocky Mountain Solar Projects

2011-10-18T04:46:00.002-04:00

Reading a report this morning from Industrial Info Resources. They are currently tracking PV projects worth $17.39 billion in total investment value in the Western and Rocky Mountain regions. These renewable solar power projects are scheduled to begin construction in 2012, depending on funding, permitting, and the individual state's incentives to meet the renewable portfolio standards.

The 13 states involved--California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming--have the most favorable areas for radiation per unit area as measured in kilowatt-hours per square meter per day.

Solar power projects being developed in the aforementioned 13 states vary in size and are led by California, Arizona and Nevada, with $7.86 billion, $5.6 billion and $3.52 billion of total investment value, respectively.

As solar power technologies become more readily available and demand increases, the price of the technology decreases, making for a more competitive cost benefit and spurring an increase in the investment in and implementation of the technology.

GE Power and Water (Schenectady, New York), a subsidiary of General Electric (NYSE:GE) (Fairfield, Connecticut), recently announced its foray into the thin film solar panel manufacturing field by acquiring PrimeStar Solar (Arvada, Colorado), with plans to build the largest solar panel manufacturing plant in the U.S. by 2013. GE Power and Water hopes to expand in and dominate the solar panel market, as it has in the wind turbine market.

First Solar Incorporated (NASDAQ:FSLR) (Tempe, Arizona) is the largest solar panel manufacturer in the U.S., though its factory is in Malaysia, and SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ:SPWRA) (San Jose, California) is the industry leader in solar panel efficiency, converting sunlight into electricity.

Three solar panel companies have filed for bankruptcy in the last few months: Solyndra (Freemont, California), Evergreen Solar (Marlboro,Massachusetts) and SpectraWatt (Hopewell Junction, New York). Domestic competition has increased, and the market has been flooded with low-cost solar panels that were manufactured in China. This suggests the industry is just shaking out the weak companies.

U.S. solar industry manufacturers are still growing because of state and federal renewable energy incentives, and many expect continued growth as panels become more efficient and costs to produce them decrease.

In the future research, development and engineering of more technologically advanced and efficient solar panels could enable a new generation of solar panels to be installed on rooftops and racking systems with micro-inverters built into each solar panel which would convert the direct current to alternating current and passed to the grid or home instantly with little to no loss in efficiency. Also in the future, solar panels made with newer materials could convert 80-90% of sunlight into energy compared to 12-18% of current panels.

In 2010, the solar market in the U.S. grew 102% to 2.1 GW). In 2010, the U.S. added 878 MW of grid-connected photovoltaic power, including both utility-scale and rooftop installations, and 78 MW of concentrated solar power, bringing the cumulative installed capacity to 2,100 MW of photovoltaic and 507 MW of concentrated solar power, according to the Electric Power Research Institute.

Wells Fargo Financing 53.5 MW PV Project in Southern New Mexico

2011-09-25T05:55:00.002-04:00

Wells Fargo & Company announced on Friday 23 Sept project financing for the deployment of a 53.5 MW multi-site solar project for Sun Edison in southern New Mexico. I have already mentioned the groundbreaking ceremony in Carlsbad, NM in which the city’s mayor and officials from SunEdison, Xcel Energy, and Wells Fargo to announce the activation of the first three of five solar power plants that make up the 53.5 MW project. With the remaining two plants expected to begin operation before the end of 2011, the total 53.5MW solar project is expected to be among the largest PV projects in the U.S. As the construction lender, Wells Fargo provided more than $200 million to finance the installation phase of the projects.

Three New Solar Plants Operational in New Mexico

2011-09-23T07:55:00.001-04:00

Three new solar power plants are up and running in southeastern New Mexico. Xcel Energy, SunEdison and state and local officials gathered at one of the plants near Carlsbad on Thursday 22 Sept to celebrate the activation. Officials say two more plants planned for the region are expected to be fully operational by the end of this year.

They say the five solar arrays will generate a total of about 109 million kilowatt-hours of power in the first year of operation. Officials say that's enough to power more than 10,000 homes. The solar plants will help Xcel continue meeting New Mexico's renewable energy portfolio standard, which requires regulated utilities to meet 15% of electricity needs with renewable resources by 2015. The standard will increase to 20% by 2020.

Saint-Gobain Solar Invests in Arizona Plant

2011-09-21T18:02:00.002-04:00

Saint-Gobain announced today that construction work on Saint-Gobain Solar's mirror line for solar thermal power stations has begun. Located in Goodyear, Arizona. The plant will be Saint-Gobain Solar's first manufacturing facility in North America. The facility will supply primarily the domestic market and will eventually produce millions of square feet of solar mirrors for thermal power station technologies.

The new solar mirror line is planned to come on stream in the last quarter of this year and will produce 50 new jobs for the area. This investment complements Saint-Gobain's current solar mirror production base, which includes a parabolic mirrors plant in Portugal and a flat mirrors facility in Germany.

"Our strategic decision to expand manufacturing into the United States confirms the importance of this market in our business portfolio," said Fabrice Didier, Managing Director of Saint-Gobain Solar. "The new facility will be working with the best technology available."

According to Alain Garnier, Director of Saint-Gobain Solar North America, local production of solar mirrors in Arizona accelerates the company's plans for growth in the North American solar market. "Local production of solar mirrors means we are now able to offer the same quality solar products in the United States as we do in Europe," said Garnier. "Perhaps just as important, local production also means a reduction in our carbon footprint regarding the transportation of these products over long distances.

"We are grateful to the state of Arizona, which has adopted a proactive policy to encourage companies from the solar sector to establish manufacturing plants," adds Garnier. "The Arizona Renewable Energy Tax Incentive Program helped to encourage us to select the state for our new plant. Following a tough selection process, we chose to set up our plant in the Phoenix area, in Goodyear, where we are pleased to have been very positively received."

With this new mirrors line, which is Saint-Gobain's only plant dedicated to the solar thermal market in the United-States, the company has taken one step further in its commitment to the renewable energies market and solar concentrators in particular.

"The new manufacturing facility in Goodyear highlights Saint-Gobain's commitment to innovation in renewable energies and solar technology in North America and around the world," said John Crowe, President and CEO of Saint-Gobain Corporation (Saint-Gobain's North American holding company). "We are proud to help lead the drive to save energy by investing strongly in solar power as well as the development of other sustainable energy-efficient building products and technologies for communities around the world."

PNM Introduces New Solar Storage System

2011-09-21T16:04:00.002-04:00

A small solar plant and its experimental battery storage system went live in Albuquerque on Monday in what PNM said was the first solar storage installation in the country to be fully integrated with a utility's power grid. "Although this technology is in its early integration stage and additional research and development is needed, the PNM Prosperity Energy Storage Project is a significant first step toward making renewable energy reliable energy," PNM president and CEO Pat Vincent-Collawn said. The $8.7 million demonstration project, located near Mesa del Sol south of the airport, is the first of 16 smart grid projects partially funded by federal stimulus funds to become fully operational.

Desert Sunlight Solar Farm Greenlighted by US Department of Interior

2011-08-15T14:28:00.001-04:00

PV-Tech is reporting US Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has greenlighted the Desert Sunlight Solar Farm, a 550MW (AC) solar power project to be developed, built, and operated by First Solar on 4100 acres of public lands in the California desert outside Joshua Tree National Park. Construction on the site could begin within days.

“The issuance of Desert Sunlight’s Record of Decision (ROD) is a major milestone in the project’s permitting process and paves the way for construction to begin by mid-August, maintaining the project’s eligibility for the DOE’s loan guarantee program,” Frank De Rosa, First Solar’s senior VP of North American project development. Desert Sunlight is the beneficiary of a conditional loan guarantee commitment of $1.88 billion, which was announced in June by the US Department of Energy.

“The 550MW Desert Sunlight project will be the largest PV project on federally managed land in the United States and one of the two largest PV solar projects in the world,” De Rosa continued, “both of which are being developed by First Solar.” (The other is the 550MW [AC] Topaz Solar Farm, located in the Carrizo Plain area of San Luis Obispo County, CA.)

Korea-based Youil Ensys subsidiary, Global Solar Energy, to open Sacramento Office

2011-08-15T12:58:00.000-04:00

Last week the Sacramento Business Journal reported the Korea-based Global Solar Energy Corp., a subsidiary of Youil Ensys, will open a Sacramento, CA office. The company has leased 3,000 square feet of space in the Bank of the West building at 500 Capitol Mall, according to the Sacramento Area Commerce and Trade Organization and the city of Sacramento .

Global Solar Energy will have 10 employees in the office, which will become the US headquarters for the company and a sales and marketing office. The company manufactures trackers used in utility-scale solar panel operations, and plans to expand to manufacturing and distribution in the region.

In January 2011, Youil Renewable Energy Corp., another subsidiary of Youil Ensys, announced plans to invest around USD160 million on Philippines solar projects with a combined capacity of 40 MW. The solar projects included a 30-MW facility near Bacolod City in Negros Occidental and a 10-MW solar station in Bohol province.

El Paso Utility Company Spinning Off E&P Business

2011-08-12T08:44:00.000-04:00

El Paso Corporation (NYSE:EP) has taken important steps related to the planned spinoff of its E&P business before year-end 2011. Thursday 11 Aug, El Paso filed its initial Form 10 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. This filing provides information about the spinoff and provides a detailed look at all aspects of the E&P business.

El Paso also announced that the new company will be named EP Energy Corporation, and it will be listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the ticker symbol EPE.

"We're excited about the creation of two outstanding publicly traded companies through the spinoff of our E&P business," said Doug Foshee, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of El Paso Corporation. "We are also excited about the new name for our E&P company -- EP Energy. The new name leverages the equity we have built in the El Paso brand, and it speaks directly to what our E&P business does so well: finding and producing oil and natural gas."

Brent Smolik, who will become president and chief executive officer of EP Energy, said, "While our name will change, many things will not, including the fundamental pillars of our E&P strategy. We have more than 10 years of drilling inventory that we expect will deliver significant growth in oil and condensate revenues. We will continue to focus on maintaining a significant drilling inventory of repeatable programs, being a leader in safe and responsible energy development, and driving high-end performance across our operations."

"El Paso Corporation and EP Energy will move forward with two outstanding boards," added Foshee. "By populating each board from the existing El Paso board, we take advantage of a history of good governance; we ensure each board has seasoned, knowledgeable members, and we maintain continuity for our shareholders."

NRG Energy has Acquired Arizona Agua Caliente Solar PV Project

2011-08-08T15:36:00.001-04:00

NRG Energy has completed its acquisition of the 290 MW Agua Caliente, Arizona solar PV project from First Solar. The power project, which is currently under construction in Yuma County, has received all permits and approvals from both federal and state agencies. The acquisition was contingent upon the financial closing of the facility's loan guarantee from the Loan Programs Office of the US Department of Energy. Construction of the solar facility is expected to be completed in 2014 and the electricity generated from this project will be sold to Pacific Gas and Electric Co under a 25-year agreement. At full capacity, the project will generate enough electricity to power more than 225,000 homes and offset about 5.5 million metric tons of CO2 over 25 years.

First Solar to build Expansion at Copper Mountain Solar complex in Nevada

2011-08-08T15:30:00.000-04:00

First Solar will build a 150 MW expansion at a Nevada power plant for Sempra Generation, which plans to sell power produced there to Pacific Gas & Electric Co. The deal, announced Thursday 4 Aug, did not include financial details. Sempra and PG&E agreed to a 25-year deal that will see the California utility buy power from the station at the Copper Mountain Solar complex in Boulder City, Nevada. The 48 MW first phase of the facility was built with Tempe-based First Solar panels, and the company will serve as the project’s engineer, procurement manager and construction contractor.

The first 92 MW of panels will be installed starting in 2012 and be completed in 2013. The second phase of 58 MW will come online in 2015. PG&E has the option of accelerating that time schedule. California utilities have been upping their plans for solar power after the state raised its renewable energy standard this year. Utilities must get 33 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2020. The utilities, however, are running currently at about 18 percent collectively. That includes PG&E, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric. Sempra is based in San Diego and its parent company, Sempra Energy , also owns San Diego Gas & Electric. PG&E is a subsidiary of the PG&E Corp.

PNM Inaugurates Solar PV System in Los Lunas

2011-06-08T15:13:00.000-04:00

PNM began operating a new, 5-megawatt, utility-scale solar photovoltaic system in Los Lunas on May 31.

The system, which encompasses 78,000 solar panels on 50 acres, will supply enough electricity annually to power about 1,600 average-sized New Mexico homes.

It’s the second solar facility started this year by PNM, following the opening of a 2 MW system in April at the Reeves Generating Station in north Albuquerque.

The new system is the largest facility of its kind in Valencia County, said PNM President and CEO Pat Vincent-Collawn in a news release.

“We located this facility in Los Lunas because of the available and affordable land, the area’s high solar potential and local support for a facility of this kind,” Vincent-Collawn said.

PNM will build three more 5-megawatt solar PV facilities this year, one each in Deming, Alamogordo and Las Vegas, as part of its renewable procurement plan.

NV Energy Releases Details for Renewable Transmission Initiative

2011-06-08T13:47:00.000-04:00

On 7 June, NV Energy announced its Renewable Transmission Initiative, a process designed to engage renewable developers, load-serving entities, and others to assess their interest in obtaining transmission service from renewable energy zones in Nevada to other markets, particularly California and the Desert Southwest.

NV Energy will conduct a solicitation of interest through its existing Federal Energy Regulatory Commission-approved transmission planning processes. The Renewable Transmission Initiative process will enable the company to determine which of the renewable zones in Nevada will generate sufficient commitment on the part of market participants and other stakeholders to support the construction of the transmission infrastructure required to export energy from those zones.

The renewable energy zones were originally identified by Nevada's Renewable Energy Transmission Access Advisory Committee in a multi-year collaborative process with renewable energy developers, environmental organizations, the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, state and federal agencies, rural cooperatives and NV Energy.

Depending on market interest, NV Energy's Renewable Transmission Initiative could ultimately result in the construction of up to 570 miles of new overhead electric transmission lines and associated facilities.

NV Energy recently submitted a Preliminary Plan of Development for the Renewable Transmission Initiative to the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management and a Utility Environmental Protection Act filing with the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada to begin the permitting and approval process.

Bill Richardson Joins Abengoa Advisory Board

2011-03-21T08:34:00.000-04:00

The addition of the former Governor of New Mexico Bill Richardson to Spanish solar developer Abengoa’s international advisory board will strengthen an already star team.

The board is chaired by former President of the European Parliament Jose Borrel, who sits alongside six other economics and sustainability experts.

Abengoa’s winning board also includes Nobel Prize winner Mario Molina, ex chief economist of the World Bank Nicholas Stern and Turkey’s former Minister of Economic Affairs Kemal Dervis.

Richardson is a former Democratic Party representative, as well as being a member of the House of Representatives for New Mexico until 1997 before becoming the US Ambassador to the United Nations.

Former US President Bill Clinton subsequently appointed him as US Secretary of Energy in 1998, a position that he held for about three years. During his time as US Energy Secretary, he was known for implementing tough energy efficiency standards.

Richardson was elected as Governor of New Mexico in 2003, only retiring from this position earlier this year. During his tenure as Governor, he enforced emissions reductions measures.

‘We are extremely fortunate to have former Governor Richardson join our advisory board. His extensive knowledge of the renewable energy sector and his background in public policy will provide Abengoa with significant insight and help advise our leaders on global opportunities in the clean energy sector,’ said Manuel Sanchez Ortega, CEO of Abengoa.

Abengoa recently started the construction of its Solana project near Gila Bend, Arizona, which is expected to be the largest concentrated solar plant in the world.

Abengoa is also the fifth largest biofuels producer in the US, where it plans to construct its first commercial cellulosic ethanol plant in Kansas.

Cimarron Solar ite Settles into Production

2011-03-16T14:14:00.000-04:00

New Mexico's largest and first utility-scale solar power installation is entering its fourth month of generating electricity.

The 30 MW Cimarron Solar Facility -- producing enough to serve 9,000 homes--has a half million solar panels over 250 acres and is, in fact, one of the largest of photovoltaic power plants in North America.

"It had come on operating 10 megawatts at a time and by late November, the last 10 megawatts were up and running," said Jim Van Someren, spokesman for the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, which will purchase all of the Cimarron electricity for the next 25 years. Tri-State provides power to 44 electric cooperatives in four states, including 12 in New Mexico.

Built by Arizona-based First Solar Inc, the Cimarron project is on part of Ted Turner's sprawling Vermejo Park Ranch in northeastern New Mexico. Tri-State built a substation to feed electricity from the site into the grid via an existing 115-kilovolt transmission line.

SCHOTT, CST Install PV At New Mexico High School

2011-03-09T11:19:00.000-05:00

SCHOTT Solar PV Inc. and Albuquerque, N.M.-based Consolidated Solar Technologies (CST) have inaugurated a 50 kW PV system at Dulce High School in Dulce, N.M. The system is the fourth in the state to be funded through a grant system initiated in 2009 using funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

This ground-mounted system uses more than 200 Albuquerque-made SCHOTT POLY solar modules and will yield an energy savings to the school of around $15,000 annually, according to SCHOTT. Dulce Independent Schools, which consists of three state-of-the-art learning facilities on the Jicarilla Apache Nation reservation, is one of 15 school districts in the state to be selected through the competitive grant process.

The array will be integrated into calculus, engineering, physics and other classes using interactive, real-time system monitoring software. This is the second solar array to incorporate PV solar education at Dulce High School.

New Mexico PV Plant a Partnership Between Ted Turner and Southern Company

2011-01-24T09:43:00.000-05:00

Developed and constructed by First Solar, the 30MW Cimarron Solar Facility in New Mexico is a partnership between Southern Company and Ted Turner's Turner Renewable Energy and will be among the largest solar PV plants in the US.

The clean and plentiful sunshine of New Mexico is now producing electricity for some 9,000 homes as the Cimarron Solar Facility has begun commercial operation. At 30 MW, Cimarron is among the nation's largest solar photovoltaic plants.

The facility will supply enough power for 9000 homes through the member electric cooperatives of Denver-based Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association. First Solar developed and constructed the facility and will provide operation and maintenance services under a long-term contract.

Southern Company and Turner Renewable Energy acquired the project from First Solar in March 2010. Turner Renewable Energy is a wholly owned subsidiary of Turner Enterprises with a focus on development of commercial-scale solar projects.

Initially expected to go on line by the end of 2010, the facility was completed in eight months and began commercial operation in early December, nearly a month ahead of schedule. More than 300 workers were employed to construct the plant, which uses approximately 500,000 2'x 4' advanced thin film photovoltaic modules manufactured by First Solar.

Turner Renewable Energy is wholly owned by Ted Turner. Turner Enterprises, Inc., a private company, manages the business interests, land holdings and investments of Ted Turner, including the oversight of 2 million acres in 12 states and in Argentina, and more than 50,000 bison head.

Arizona Solar Companies Expect On the Job Training

2011-01-17T08:33:00.000-05:00

Solar companies operating in Arizona expect most of their employees to learn on the job and don't expect them to have an education specifically tied to the industry, according to a recent study.

Professor Martin Pasqualetti, a senior sustainability scientist at Arizona State University's Global Institute of Sustainability, working with a colleague, surveyed 76 companies operating here that are looking to hire new employees and published his findings in the February edition of the scientific journal Energy Policy.

"Solar energy is destined to be an important element in any chance we have of achieving a sustainable energy future," they wrote.

"The question is 'How should we best prepare for and accelerate the transition from conventional fuels? What do we need to do?' "

They found that non-technical skills and management ability are at least as valuable as training in solar energy, which commonly is taught on the job.

A broad-based bachelor's-degree program in engineering, "with a strong emphasis on verbal and written communication, as well as business and teaming abilities," is most valued by the employers.

Most of the survey respondents specialized in solar photovoltaic panels, but some had specialties in solar thermal or solar water heating.

Sixty-eight percent of the respondents said they would hire a job candidate with a bachelor's degree in engineering with a solar-content area, while just 32 percent said they would hire people with master's degrees in the same field.

"The solar industry is not yet mature enough to be overly-welcoming to those who hold a narrow range of knowledge and abilities," the authors wrote.

"As the industry expands, there will be increasing need for focused skills . . . but for now the solar market is small enough that employees must be able to integrate knowledge about several aspects of the business."

They said that for solar to expand as an industry in Arizona, universities will need to respond to the needs of the industry.

SCHOTT Solar PV, Consolidated Solar Technologies Complete PV Project

2011-01-14T14:44:00.000-05:00

SCHOTT Solar PV Inc. and Albuquerque-based Consolidated Solar Technologies have inaugurated a 50 kW photovoltaic solar power system at Rio Rancho High School. The system, which comprises more than 200 Albuquerque-made SCHOTT POLY solar modules, will yield an energy savings of more than $20,000 annually for the school.

The project was funded through a grant system initiated in 2009 using funds from the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act. Rio Rancho High School is the third local school project on which SCHOTT Solar and CST have worked together to install a solar project.Rio Rancho students were crucial to securing the final grant by writing more than 75 letters to state officials, the companies note.

SOURCE: SCHOTT Solar PV Inc.

PNM Says It Can't Meet Renewable Mandates in 2012

2011-01-13T17:10:00.000-05:00

PNM is asking the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission to waive a state requirement that the utility obtain 10 percent of its electricity from renewable sources in 2012.

The utility said it can’t meet the mandate, contained in the state’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS), without exceeding a cost threshold set by the PRC, which aims to moderate the cost to consumers when utilities use more renewable resources.

The threshold sets a maximum 2 percent increase for renewable generation on customers’ bills in 2011. The threshold will climb to 3 percent by 2015, beginning with a rise to 2.25 percent in 2012.

The waiver request is part of an updated renewable energy procurement plan for 2011, which PNM filed in December.

PNM spokesperson Cathy Garber said the utility will meet the 10 percent renewables requirement this year because it’s purchasing about $5.5 million in extra wind energy from generating facilities run by other companies, in addition to solar energy it will bring onto the system.

The company plans to build 45 megawatts of solar generation in 2011 and 2012, including utility-owned solar photovoltaic facilities and rooftop solar installations established by customers with subsidies from PNM.

With the additional $5.5 million PNM is spending on wind energy this year, it will get more than 10 percent of its energy from renewable sources. But if the company purchases more wind next year, it will push the impact on customers above the 2.25 percent threshold, Garber said. And without more wind energy, renewables will only account for 7.4 percent of PNM’s electricity in 2012.

“We’re asking to waive meeting the RPS requirement in 2012, because we won’t have the money to buy more wind resources,” Garber said.

Part of the problem is that the cost for solar buildouts will rise from $14 million in 2011 to about $16 million in 2012 as more systems come online, Garber said. In addition, the utility would have to spend between $3.3 million and $6.6 million on wind generation to meet the 10 percent renewable mandate.

Parties that want to intervene in the PRC case must do so by Feb. 8. Public hearings at the PRC are scheduled to begin April 1.

Commissioner Jason Marks said the PRC needs to assess in hearings whether PNM’s request is “reasonable.” Southwestern Public Service Co., which serves customers in southeast New Mexico and West Texas, also asked for extra time to meet the 10 percent standard in its renewable procurement plan.

“The utility must make a reasonable effort to meet the RPS requirement,” Marks said. “We’ll look closely at whether PNM is doing everything reasonably possible. If so, it’s entitled to a variance, but if there are alternatives that can bring them closer to the RPS, then we could order them to do those things.”

Read more: PNM says it can’t meet renewable mandates in 2012 | New Mexico Business Weekly

Southwest Solar Opens Research Park in Phoenix

2011-01-13T14:07:00.000-05:00

Southwest Solar Technologies announced on 13 Jan 11 that it has completed initial development of the Southwest Solar Research Park in Phoenix, Arizona. The 7.3-hectare (18-acre) secured facility is located just south of Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix. The focal point of the facility, a 23-metre (75-foot) diameter concentrating solar power (CSP) dish, is visible to commuters as they cross the Salt River along US Interstate Route 10.

The Solar Research Park is designed to serve as a center for renewable energy research and innovation. It provides Southwest Solar’s engineers and development partners with abundant sunlight and field space to operate and evaluate new solar technology. The site offers convenient access to the universities and technology industry base of Phoenix because it’s located on a major arterial in a major metropolitan area.

“[Southwest Solar] is in discussions with other renewable energy businesses to co-locate at the park to promote collaboration and make land available for testing or demonstration projects,” said chief executive officer Brad Forst. Potential collaborators could include universities, private companies and government-sponsored projects.

Arizona Ramps Up Large-Scale Solar Power Plants

2011-01-13T08:14:00.000-05:00

Arizona will ramp up its solar capacity over the coming months—a plan expected to continue throughout the next three years. This expansion is proving that large-scale solar arrays will soon be trumping the rooftop panels common in years past.

Tucson Electric Power is heading this particular expansion, with six of its projects expected to launch by the end of the year. In addition, their plan to add 7MW of solar power capacity each year through 2014 (costing an estimated $28 million a year) has recently been approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission.

Offering a bit of competition is Arizona Public Service Co., which aims to increase the state’s solar energy capacity to seven times what it is now. They are going to start with a planned 18MW photovoltaic plan and 280MW solar thermal power plant, which will be located in the desert near Gila Bend.

While these utility-scale solar projects undoubtedly take longer to build, their contribution to the power grid easily outweighs the benefits offered by individual solar arrays on homes and businesses. The cost is better too—a rooftop system rings in at $5.50 per watt, while a utility-scale solar is only $3.50 per watt. Onward and upward.

SCHOTT Solar PV, Inc. and Consolidated Solar Technologies Inaugurate Photovoltaic Solar Installation at Rio Rancho High School

2011-01-07T15:38:00.000-05:00

SCHOTT Solar and Albuquerque-based Consolidated Solar Technologies (CST) on 7 Jan 2011 inaugurated a 50kW photovoltaic (PV) solar power system at Rio Rancho High School. The project was funded through a grant system initiated in 2009 using funds from the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Rio Rancho High School is the third local school project on which SCHOTT Solar and CST have worked together.

Rio Rancho students were crucial to securing the final grant by writing more than 75 letters to state officials. The system, which is comprised of more than 200 Albuquerque-made SCHOTT POLY® solar modules, will yield an energy savings of more than $20,000 annually for the school.

"From the start of our PV solar project, Rio Rancho Schools focused on choosing a respected partner with quality service and proven solar components," said Alfred Sena, Executive Director of Facilities for Rio Rancho Public Schools. "Selecting Consolidated Solar Technologies for the design and construction of our system and using SCHOTT solar panels accomplished these goals while helping to support job creation in New Mexico and increasing our energy independence."

SCHOTT Solar, whose flagship manufacturing facility opened on the south side of Albuquerque in 2009, employs more than 300 local workers and is a growing economic driver of New Mexico's solar industry ecosystem.

"SCHOTT Solar is committed to growing a strong solar industry in Albuquerque and across the nation with our proven, high-quality modules," said Tom Hecht, President and Chief Sales Officer of SCHOTT Solar PV, Inc. "We are privileged to have CST as a partner as we work with New Mexico's schools to save them money and further their environmental stewardship. Together we have a winning formula to harness New Mexico's abundant sunshine and create both clean energy and local jobs."

The system was installed by Consolidated Solar Technologies, an Albuquerque systems integrator with many years' experience in electrical design and building for large commercial properties.

"SCHOTT is a responsive partner, which was important to our success in completing this project within a very limited timeframe," said Mike Mattioli, managing director of CST. "With their help, Consolidated Solar Technologies was able to develop the school's system and deliver ahead of schedule. Rio Rancho High School can start 2011 with the system in service, and producing clean renewable energy."

Abengoa's Solana Solar Plant Will Break Ground Mid-2011

2011-01-07T09:45:00.000-05:00

Abengoa's $2 billion Solana, Arizona solar plant is expected to be the first major stored-heat plant in the U.S. when it enters service in 2013. Some already exist in Spain and a few more are on the drawing board for Nevada and California.

On Dec. 21, Abengoa, a unit of Spanish utility company Abengoa SA, cleared a major hurdle when it announced it received a $1.45 billion U.S. loan guarantee for the 250 MW Arizona project, planned for a site 70 miles southwest of Phoenix near Gila Bend.

The Solana plant will be able to meet winter heating and lighting needs by putting electricity on the grid early in the morning—before the sun is shining—and help satisfy summer cooling demand by producing power after sundown. The plant, which can power up to 70,000 houses, has signed a 30-year agreement to sell electricity to utility company Arizona Public Service.

Such utility-scale solar plants use mirrors to focus the sun's rays on a liquid, contained in tubes, which can be heated to very hot temperatures. The liquid is used to boil water and create steam. By using a conventional steam-turbine generator, electricity is produced.

But the twist is that the Arizona facility will have two giant salt tanks, each 122 feet in diameter and 34 feet deep, that together can hold and store 40% of the heat created by the plant.

Such storage technologies are expected to become more commonplace in the U.S. at solar plants as officials try to limit the release of carbon dioxide from fossil-fuel power plants and make renewable power production more dependable.

Mark Mehos, a solar program manager for the National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden, Colo., said such molten salt storage systems add about 20% to the construction cost of solar plants but more than make up for it by boosting a plant's flexibility and productivity.

Electricity from solar plants is expensive, especially at a time when natural-gas prices have plunged, making gas-generated electricity cheap by comparison. Utilities, which are under state mandates to buy more clean power, say solar power may look more economical in the future if fossil fuel prices rise or if a tax is imposed on carbon emissions by power plants.

When it comes to renewable energy, solar competes most heavily against wind power. A study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, Calif., in February 2010 found that utility-scale solar plants with storage capacity were three times as costly to build as wind farms without energy storage.

The study found that solar electricity was more valuable, though, because its output was more correlated to peak electricity demand. Still, experts say that unless costs come down, the number of solar projects that get built will be limited.

SolarReserve LLC, a power development company in Santa Monica, Calif., is working on two solar projects in Nevada and California that will have even more heat-storage capacity, relative to their size, than Abengoa's project. These plants will put out 110 megawatts and 150 megawatts in electricity, respectively, and will be able to store enough heat to run eight to 12 hours without additional sunlight.

SolarReserve has power sales agreements with NV Energy Inc. and PG&E Corp., and expects to have the two plants in service by 2014. Each will cost $650 million to $750 million.

Don Brandt, chairman and chief executive of Pinnacle West Capital Corp., parent of Arizona Public Service, said heat storage at the Abengoa project makes it "an extremely attractive project for us." By 2015, Arizona Public Service wants to get 10% of its electricity from renewable sources, and Abengoa's plant is expected to contribute a third of that. Arizona's statewide goal is 15% renewable energy by 2025.

Mr. Brandt said peak electricity demand for his utility typically hits about 4 p.m. in the summer but "we remain at elevated levels until around 10 o'clock at night" so getting renewable power later in the evening is valuable.

The U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, part of the Department of Energy, says molten salt storage is "proven technology."

"When you put heat into one of these tanks, you get 95% or 96% of the heat back out again," said Mr. Mehos, at the federal energy lab. "It's a nice big Thermos."

Another plus of all three plants is they will produce power that can be tailored to a utility's specific needs, said Santiago Seage, president of Abengoa Solar. That's an asset to electrical grid operators that like to know they can rely on certain amounts of power flowing onto lines.

Arizona Public Service, SunEdison Announce Construction of 10 MW Solar Power Plant in Prescott

2010-12-21T08:53:00.000-05:00

SunEdison and Arizona Public Service announced on December 17 the planned construction of a utility-scale photovoltaic solar power plant to be located two miles north of the Prescott Regional Airport. SunEdison will own and operate the plant with APS purchasing the entire output. APS estimates the 10-megawatt facility can provide enough power to meet the annual energy needs of 2,500 Arizona customers.

"APS's investments in renewable energy – well-diversified by technology, ownership, size and location – are forging a sustainable energy future for Arizona," said Don Robinson, APS President and Chief Operating Officer. "With five solar facilities operating or under construction, Prescott is becoming an important hub for solar development. It is an ideal location because of its abundant sunshine, cooler weather, available land and access to the transmission system."

APS's decade-long history of solar in Prescott includes a 194-kilowatt system at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University (completed in 2001), a small system on the roof of Prescott College (completed in 2004) and a 3.6-megawatt plant near the Prescott Regional Airport (completed in 2006).

Earlier this month APS and SunEdison announced plans for two other Arizona solar plants, a 20-megawatt facility in Chino Valley – another Prescott-area solar plant – and a 17-megawatt facility in Hyder. Those plants also will be developed by SunEdison. However, instead of purchasing the power, APS will own the facilities after construction is completed. With these two solar plants plus December 17's announcement, APS's renewable portfolio totals approximately 851 megawatts, of which 282 is in operation and serving customers.

"SunEdison offers smart, cost effective, solar solutions that utilities have come to expect and trust," said Carlos Domenech, President of SunEdison. "We have a global demonstrated utility track record and welcome the opportunity to partner with a progressive utility like APS."

Southwest US Solar Energy Zones Created

2010-12-17T16:13:00.001-05:00

The long-awaited "solar energy zones" are now a reality. The plan to select the optimal areas for large solar development on federal lands in the Southwest has been completed and was announced 16 Dec 10 by U.S. secretaries of Energy and the Interior.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu said the comprehensive environmental analysis identified proposed `solar energy zones' on public lands in six western states most suitable for environmentally sound, utility-scale solar energy production.

The Draft Solar Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) assessed the environmental, social, and economic impacts associated with solar energy development on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) administered areas in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. A 90-day public comment period will follow.

SunEdison, Xcel Energy Break Ground On 54MW In New Mexico Solar Projects

2010-12-17T15:17:00.000-05:00

Community leaders and renewable developers have broken ground on a 54MW photovoltaic solar deployment to be built on five separate sites in Lea and Eddy counties, New Mexico.

SunEdison will build, finance and maintain the projects while Xcel Energy will ultimately purchase the electricity under a 20 year power services agreement. The projects help the state reach its goal of 15% renewable energy by 2015 and 20% by 2020.

“SunEdison is proud of our continued relationship with Xcel Energy,” stated Carlos Domenech, president of SunEdison and executive vice president of MEMC. “Having recently activated a 70MW deployment in Italy, SunEdison has proven our ability to construct and finance large utility-scale solar deployments. We look forward to working with Xcel Energy in helping them reach their renewable energy goals”

SunEdison and Xcel Energy's regional operating company, Southwestern Public Service Company, along with local and state dignitaries, have begun construction at one of the sites and discussed its potential with the community.

Held at the Woolworth Community library in Jal, New Mexico, the groundbreaking event highlighted the five-site deployment that is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2011. The five sites will be comprised of utility-scale, photovoltaic solar power arrays that are expected to deliver more than 112 million kilowatt hours of clean solar energy in the first year of operation alone.

The five-site deployment will help enable Xcel Energy to continue meeting New Mexico's renewable portfolio standard, which requires that regulated electric utilities meet 15 percent of their electricity needs by 2015, and 20 percent by 2020, through renewable energy sources, including solar technologies.

Solar Player Had SEC Sanctions

2010-05-14T08:50:00.000-04:00

Thursday, May 13, 2010

By Rosalie Rayburn
Copyright © 2010 Albuquerque Journal
Journal Staff Writer
Questions continue to swirl around a solar startup company that plans to build a massive plant in Rio Rancho by next year.
Although former Intel executive Bill Sheppard, CEO of Green2V Energy Solutions, has a history and respected reputation among Rio Rancho officials, others involved with the project don't have the same credentials.
• Bill Housley, executive vice president of Green2V, was the subject of a cease-and-desist order by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission when he was president of a company in Plano, Texas, for his role in revenue-inflation transactions.
• And GP3 Ltd, which has agreed to buy up to $500 million in Industrial Revenue Bonds to finance the Green2V Energy project, remains a mystery — even to Rio Rancho officials.
While Rio Rancho officials describe GP3 as a Los Angeles company, there is no record of the company at the California Secretary of State's Office. And GP3's letter agreeing to purchase the bonds is written on plain paper, signed with an illegible signature. It contains no information about the company or how to contact it.
Rio Rancho City Manager James Jimenez said he was aware of Housley's background but the city's agreement is with Sheppard. He said the city is relying on Sheppard to put together a reliable management team and to prove Green2V has viable financial backing.
Then, and only then, will the city move forward on issuing the bonds.
"Sheppard and his team have to come to us and prove that they have the money in place, that it's from a legitimate source and that they have the legal authority to expend the money," Jimenez said this week. "Once we validate those things, we would recommend the next action."
Attempts to reach Sheppard the past two weeks have been unsuccessful. Calls to numbers listed for Sheppard reached a recorded message that the numbers had been changed or were no longer in service. Noreen Scott, president of Rio Rancho Economic Development Corp., said he is in the process of moving to New Mexico.
During a high-profile news conference last month, Green2V announced its plans to locate its headquarters and first plant in Rio Rancho, pledging to bring in 1,500 jobs with a payroll of $64 million by the end if 2014.
Jimenez acknowledged this week that the city's news conference announcing Green2V's plans was held before all of the questions were answered. But he reiterated that the city will conduct due diligence before moving forward.
SEC troubles
Housley describes himself as co-founder of Green2V, and it is his signature on the documents presented to Rio Rancho describing the project. Repeated calls to Housley last week and this week seeking comment for this story were not returned.
Housley's run-in with the SEC stemmed from his tenure at Microtune, a company that sells radio frequency-based products to the broadband and automotive markets.
Housley joined Microtune, as vice president of marketing and sales in 2001. By the end of that year, he was the company's chief operating officer and president, according to the SEC order issued in 2005.
The order says that between 2001 and 2003, when Housley left the company, he participated in schemes that used incentives to entice distributors and customers to place large orders or shipments of product to help Microtune meet the company's revenue forecasts. The order says Housley either knew or should have known the concessions could be improper in recognizing sales revenue.
In one case outlined in the order, Housley granted special payment terms to secure a $1.2 million sale to a Taiwanese manufacturer. When Microtune's comptroller said the arrangement was unacceptable, Housley made a secret agreement with the customer by faxing a letter from his home, according to the SEC.
The SEC ordered Housley to stop committing the violations, to repay a portion of the money involved in the transactions and to pay $50,000 to the U.S. Treasury. It also said he could not serve as an officer or director of any publicly traded company required to file reports with the SEC.
Mike Vargon, acting director of the Securities Division of the State Regulation and Licensing Department, said typically companies must file SEC reports once they have $10 million in total assets and more than 500 shareholders. Green2V is not a publicly traded company.
Housley's signature line on Green2V documents submitted to Rio Rancho describes him as executive vice president. However, he is not listed as an officer on the registration the company filed with the Corporations Bureau of the state Public Regulation Commission.
A mystery investor
Green2V has said GP3 Ltd. of Los Angeles will finance the project by purchasing the bonds.
But who is GP3?
GP3 Ltd. has no website and is not registered as a company with the California Secretary of State. The letter, dated March 27, 2010, which Green2V provided to Rio Rancho officials outlining GP3's commitment to buy the bonds contains no information about the company. It is typed on a simple sheet of paper with simply GP3 centered at the top in way of letterhead.
The letter states: "If you have any questions or are in need of additional information regarding this commitment and bond transaction, please feel free to contact us."
It then has an illegible signature at the bottom, but no phone number or address. Jimenez said he doesn't have any information about GP3 or know who signed the letter.
GP3 was not originally in the Green2V picture.
Housley told the Journal in late April that Green2V initially planned to start up in Arizona and was working with HB Equities and OCS Capital Group. He said Green2V terminated its relationship with HB Equities and OCS when it found GP3 Ltd.
It's unclear why Green2V changed course — and Housley did not respond to requests for an explanation.
The March letter from GP3 in which it promises to buy bonds is actually addressed to OCS.
But Jimenez confirms that Housley and Sheppard have told him OCS is no longer involved. City officials have said they were impressed with Green2V's business plan and have confidence in Sheppard based on his track record running the Rio Rancho Intel plant in the 1990s.
Rio Rancho's mayor and Jimenez have said the city's bond advisers, RBC Capital, and bond counsel Modrall Sperling will perform due diligence on all aspects of the deal.
"Part of our due diligence will be to validate who are the parties involved in the transaction and what their roles are," Jimenez said.
Not losing anything
If the company does what it says it will, Rio Rancho will gain 1,500 jobs in the next five years.
If it doesn't, Rio Rancho officials insist they haven't lost anything. The company is responsible for the bond payments and the city doesn't currently receive property taxes for the plant site land because it belongs to the state Land Office.
The city plans to use $6.9 million of the bond money to purchase the plant site and transfer it to Green2V by the end of May.
It also has pledged to spend $7.2 million to put in a road and sewer line for the plant, which officials say they will consider installing regardless because it eventually will be needed.
"If Green2V comes or not, we will still move forward with the road and the sewer. This is an economic corridor," Mayor Thomas Swisstack said.

SunEdison signs options for NM land

2010-05-11T09:52:00.001-04:00

HOBBS, N.M. (AP) - Solar energy company SunEdison is one step closer to developing a handful of photovoltaic solar facilities in southeastern New Mexico.

The company on Monday signed three option agreements to encumber 560 acres of state trust lands in Lea and Eddy counties for its planned 10 megawatt solar plants. Two other parcels of private land would complete the 50 megawatt project.

The agreements with the New Mexico Land Office give SunEdison two years to ensure the land is suitable for the project. The company can erect meteorological towers on the land to measure solar radiation and conduct environmental analysis and soil surveys.

The five solar installations are expected to be operational by the end of 2011. They will be capable of generating enough electricity to power more than 10,000 homes.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Aide Solar Opens Xuzhou Plant

2010-05-02T08:59:00.000-04:00

Aide Solar is emerging as an important actor in US-China solar business ties. The company is a large scale producer of photovoltaic modules using mono and poly-crystalline silicon, with a factory and headquarter office located in the economic development zone of Xuzhou, China. They recently opened a warehouse distribution center in Tempe, Arizona for additional customer support.

NM-based Unirac Announces Manufacturing Capability in Ontario, Canada

2010-04-09T15:57:00.000-04:00

"By manufacturing our mounting solutions locally, we adhere to the programs' local content requirements, contribute to local economic growth, and provide Canadian customers access to our innovative line of products that are the building blocks for superior solar installations." - Doug May, president and CEO of Unirac.

Unirac, Inc., North America's leading manufacturer of solar photovoltaic (PV) mounting solutions, announced today they are currently manufacturing products in Ontario, Canada, which meet all Ontario Power Authority local-content requirements.

Locally manufactured residential and light commercial racking products are available today, with commercial and utility racking products also available and shipping in late April. This significant milestone demonstrates Unirac’s commitment to the Canadian market. It also signifies a direct response to Ontario’s pioneering FIT and MicroFIT programs, which offer attractive renewable energy compensation rates for solar installation customers.

“Canada is a growing market for solar energy due to the country’s proactive FIT and MicroFIT programs. We applaud Ontario Power Authority’s support of solar energy and programs that allow homeowners and business owners the opportunity to make a sound financial investment that is also environmentally responsible,” said Doug May, president and CEO of Unirac. “By manufacturing our mounting solutions locally, we adhere to the programs’ local content requirements, contribute to local economic growth, and provide Canadian customers access to our innovative line of products that are the building blocks for superior solar installations.”

Unirac is a recognized leader in the PV mounting market with industry-leading technology and a breadth of product solutions and services designed to meet the needs of any type of solar installation. Initial product offerings in Canada will include Unirac’s SolarMount, ISYS Ground Mount, and ISYS Roof Mount systems.

SolarMount is the most versatile PV mounting rail system on the market today. Installer-friendly components have been engineered for maximum flexibility and allow for even the most challenging PV mounting solutions to attain accurate and superior results.

ISYS Ground Mount requires zero field fabrication—no welding, drilling, or cutting at the installation site, making it one of the fastest systems to install with consistent and repeatable installation steps. Engineered to accommodate any type of foundation option, ISYS Ground Mount is one of the easiest and most cost-effective solutions available in the marketplace today.

ISYS Roof Mount is a flat roof solution that requires zero field fabrication, and can be installed at a rate of 2-3kW per man hour. The configurable design accommodates 0-30 degree module tilt and enables customers to maximize their project’s power production. ISYS Roof Mount utilizes Unirac’s patented I-beam components that demonstrate superior strength to weight ratio to withstand the demanding wind, snow and ice conditions in Canada.

About Unirac, Inc.

Based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Unirac was incorporated in 1999 and quickly became the industry leader with a reputation for superior mounting solutions, responsive support, and outstanding services. Speed and high-quality residential and commercial installation options are the trademarks of the company’s PV mounting solutions. Unirac delivers innovation, on time, and with award-winning results.

Signet Solar Cancels New Mexico Factory

2010-04-09T09:43:00.000-04:00

Greentech Media is reporting Signet Solar won't be building a factory in New Mexico after all.

The company -- which makes amorphous silicon solar panels with equipment from Applied Materials -- has cancelled plans to erect an $840 million factory in the state after failing to get a Department of Energy loan, according to news reports. Jim Wood, vice president of Coast Range Investments, the land developer working with Signet, told the Belen, New Mexico city council that it learned of the withdrawal from Signet officials March 30.

The plant would have employed about 600. The DOE, however, rejected a $220 million loan request in January. Signet has not responded to comments.

It's yet again another bit of bad news for Applied Materials. The semiconductor equipment maker burst into the solar market in 2006 with plans to make equipment for amorphous and crystalline silicon solar manufacturers. Although the crystalline business is growing, Applied's amorphous business has been struggling.

Part of the reason is that the SunFab line, a factory-in-a-box for amorphous silicon, is costly: SunFab costs approximately 30 percent more than competing, standard equipment, according to GTM Research analyst Shyam Mehta. Solar panel prices, meanwhile, have continued to decline. (Tom Friedman forgot to mention high costs in his hotly debated article touting Applied and SunFab last year in the New York Times.)

Signet was one of Applied's first -- and one of its most visible -- SunFab customers. The company, headquartered in the U.S., has a factory in Germany and started shipping panels in 2008. It has been planning to expand production by increasing production in Germany from 20 megawatts to 70 megawatts by the first part of 2011 and by bringing New Mexico on line. Rumors have lingered about the fate of Signet's expansion for weeks.

A few days ago, another early customer, SunFilm, filed for bankruptcy protection. SunFilm was actually two Applied customers in one: last year, it bought Sontor. Another customer, Masdar PV, has built a factory based around SunFab in Germany but has not moved forward with plans to build factories in the Middle East yet because of the lack of local feed-in policies.

In early March, we reported on rumors and speculation that Applied Materials might look to scale back or even sell its group that makes equipment for amorphous silicon solar panels. Applied declined to comment on the rumors and emphasized that the company will invest more into the amorphous market.

After that, analysts at Goldman Sachs attributed a rise in Applied's stock to news reports that the company might actually scale back on SunFab. Then at the end of March, Applied indicated it would reduce its investments in SunFab.

First Solar starts 30MW power project for Southern Company and Turner Renewable Energy

2010-03-20T15:53:00.000-04:00

First Solar’s Cimarron I Solar Project, which is adjacent to the Vermejo Park Ranch in northern New Mexico, has been sold to Southern Company and Turner Renewable Energy for an undisclosed sum. Construction of the 30MW power plant is expected to begin this month, with commercial operations starting by year end. First Solar is providing the thin-film modules as well as engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services and maintenance services under a 25-year contract.

Cimarron I will employ approximately 500,000 CdTe thin-film modules. Electricity generated by the plant will serve a 25-year power purchase agreement with the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, a not-for-profit wholesale power supplier.

Hundreds Of Solar Projects Approved Under Ontario FIT Program

2010-03-20T15:16:00.001-04:00

TEMPE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq:FSLR) today announced it has sold a 30 megawatt (AC) photovoltaic solar power project to Southern Company (NYSE:SO) and Turner Renewable Energy. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The Cimarron I Solar Project is adjacent to the Vermejo Park Ranch in northern New Mexico. First Solar developed the project and is providing engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services. First Solar will also provide operation and maintenance services under a 25-year contract. The facility will supply power to approximately 9,000 homes, or 18,000 residents, and displace over 45,000 tons of CO2 per year.

“The Cimarron I project is yet another example of First Solar’s capability to realize utility-scale solar projects,” said Rob Gillette, First Solar chief executive officer. “Combining the required technology, manufacturing, project development and EPC expertise enables First Solar to be a leader in sustainable energy development.”

Construction of the solar project will begin this month, with completion and commercial operation expected by year end 2010. It will employ approximately 500,000 photovoltaic modules manufactured by First Solar using its advanced thin film technology. The project will create over 200 jobs at construction peak.

Electricity generated by the plant will serve a 25-year power purchase agreement with the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, a not-for-profit wholesale power supplier to 44 electric cooperatives serving 1.4 million customers across Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico and Wyoming.

Solar Distinction's PV Manufacturing Plant in Albuquerque

2010-03-09T10:47:00.000-05:00

GOV Richardson's office announced in Feb that Solar Distinction, Inc., will build a state of the art photovoltaic manufacturing plant in Albuquerque. The plant will employ 300 within the first two to three years and grow to a workforce of 500 employees. The force behind Solar Distinction is a company, Noribachi Group http://www.noribachi.com/index.html

PNM Joins Solar Storage Project

2010-03-05T13:15:00.000-05:00

PNM is gearing up to participate in a demonstration project funded in part with $1.75 million in stimulus money to test a battery storage system for solar-generated electricity.

Proposed by PNM and five partners -- UNM, Sandia National Labs, Northern New Mexico College, the Electric Power Research Institute and Premium Power Corp. -- the PV-Plus Battery Solution will combine photovoltaics with a utility-scale battery system to explore the potential for storing electricity generated by a renewable energy for later use.

"Utilities around the world are looking for ways to store electricity generated by renewables because it makes an intermittent resource more useful," PNM spokeswoman Cathy Garber said.

The project will be tied to the PNM grid, with some of the stored electric ouput delivered a few hours after the solar PV production period peaks, or about the time demand on the grid is at its highest, she said. The project will also be used to reduce voltage fluctuations, she said.

PNM in November was awarded a $1.75 million Department of Energy stimulus grant for the battery, made by Reading, Mass.-based Premium Power, and a control system for the demonstration.

PNM will match the grant and fund construction of the solar component, a 500-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system that will be built near Mesa del Sol. It put out a request for proposals for the solar project this week. Proposals are due April 15.

The total cost of the project, identified in PNM's renewable energy plan, would be about $6.05 million, which the company proposes to recover through rates if OK'd by regulators.

PNM says the project could be in service within nine to 12 months following PRC approval.

Concentrix will Provide CPV Systems for Chevron Plant

2010-02-26T09:06:00.000-05:00

Concentrix Solar, a Germany-based supplier of concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) systems and a new division of the Soitec Group (Euronext Paris), has signed a contract with Chevron Technology Ventures for the deployment of a 1 MW CPV power plant, to be installed at a Chevron Mining facility in Questa, N.M.

The installation, which will use Concentrix Solar's FLATCON technology, marks Concentrix's entry into the U.S. market.

SOURCE: Concentrix Solar

Chevron to build solar plant in New Mexico

2010-02-24T17:40:00.000-05:00

Chevron Corp. said Tuesday 23 Feb 10 it will build a solar power plant near a mine that a subsidiary operates in New Mexico.

The plant will generate electricity by spreading 175 solar panels across 20 acres at Chevron's molybdenum mine in the village of Questa.

San Ramon, Calif.-based Chevron, the country's second-largest oil company, didn't disclose how much it would cost to build.

Kit Carson Electric Cooperative has agreed to buy the energy generated from the 1-megawatt plant through a power-purchase agreement. Construction is scheduled to begin in the spring.

Chevron Technology Ventures, the subsidiary that's building the plant, views the plant as a demonstration site that will teach the company how to use solar on other properties.
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Chevron shares fell 92 cents to $72.04 in Tuesday trading.

Noribachi Group is Launching New Solar Panel Company in Albuquerque

2010-02-09T17:19:00.000-05:00

New Mexico Business Weekly - by Kevin Robinson-Avila

The Noribachi Group is launching a new company in Albuquerque to build solar panels.

The new firm, Solar Distinction Inc., says it will employ about 300 workers within two or three years, eventually growing to about 500 employees. The plant is set to open by year-end 2010, with enough operating capacity to produce 25 megawatts of solar panels, said Noribachi Partner Joe Gillach. It will expand to a 50-megawatt capacity within two years.

“We’re in negotiations now, on multiple fronts,” Gillach said. “We’re looking at land to build on as well as existing buildings for the plant. We’ll announce where it will be located within 30 days.”

This is the fifth company launched by Albuquerque-based Noribachi, a venture accelerator established in 2007 to adapt solar and other clean technologies to everyday consumer products.

Noribachi created two companies in Albuquerque last year. Visible Light Solar Technologies makes lights that combine light emitting diodes (LEDs) with solar photovoltaic panels. Qnuru (pronounced kuh-new-roo) makes artistic sculptures to encase the LED-solar lights for indoor and outdoor use.

Noribachi also launched San Francisco-based Regen Inc. last fall to make and market solar-powered consumer electronics, and it created Green by Design, a California Web site for environmentally aware consumers that offers information, education and ratings for green products.

Gillach said Noribachi is currently incubating another six or seven companies.

“They’re in various stages of development, from early stage incubation to late-stage companies that are almost ready for launch,” Gillach said. “That’s our model. We incubate startups inside Noribachi and then launch them when they are ready for market.”

Noribachi spent about a year developing the business model and plan for Solar Distinction.

“Today’s announcement marks the birth of that company,” Gillach said. “We’re already interviewing senior management to run it.”

Once operating, Solar Distinction will supply all the solar panels used by Visible Light, Qnuru and Regen. Those firms now buy panels made in China, Gillach said.

“We’re bringing manufacturing jobs back on shore and into New Mexico,” he said.

Noribachi co-CEO Rhonda Dibachi said it makes more sense to locate manufacturing operations as close to their point of use as possible.

“Shipping solar panels from Asia makes no more sense today than shipping oil from the Middle East when communities like Albuquerque have the engineering talent and manufacturing capacity to create photovoltaic technologies at a comparable quality and cost,” Dibachi said in a news release.

Noribachi’s latest endeavor shows New Mexico offers the infrastructure, intellectual capital and manufacturing capabilities needed for new ventures, said New Mexico Economic Development Secretary Fred Mondragón in a prepared statement.

“The Noribachi Group’s entrepreneurial spirit and success is helping to make New Mexico the leader in the generation of next wave technologies,” Mondragón said.

The state will award a $500,000 job creation grant to Solar Distinction through the Local Economic Development Act to support the jobs generated by the firm.

krobinson-avila@bizjournals.com | 505.348.8302

Gestamp Plans to Build Santa Rosa Solar Plant

2010-01-27T15:36:00.000-05:00

A Spanish company, Gestamp, plans to invest $1 billion to build a large solar energy production plant in New Mexico.

Gov. Bill Richardson joined Wednesday with executives of GA-Solar and its parent company, Gestamp Corp., to announce the photovoltaic solar plant. It will cover 2,500 acres near Santa Rosa in eastern New Mexico.

The plant will take four years to complete and will produce 300 megawatts of electricity, enough to supply power to 50,000 households a year.

The project will employ 300 construction workers. The completed plant will provide 75 permanent jobs.

Power produced by the plant will qualify for state tax breaks for renewable energy.

Madrid-based Gestamp is a multinational company producing automotive and steel components and has renewable energy projects.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Gov Richardson Issues Green Economy Executive Order

2010-01-15T10:34:00.000-05:00

Gov. Bill Richardson, D-N.M., has issued an executive order designed to spur the development of New Mexico's renewable energy economy. The announcement was made at SCHOTT Solar's Albuquerque headquarters.

The executive order carries out recommendations and goals detailed in the report developed by the governor's Green Jobs Cabinet, which identified five immediate goals for the state to realize its full green economy potential.

According to the governor's office, these goals are to become a leader in renewable energy export; to become the center of the North American solar sector, including research and development, manufacturing and project installations; to lead the nation in green grid innovation; to continue being a leader in green building and energy efficiency; and to have an educational system that prepares New Mexico students for jobs in green technologies.

The executive order involves several state agencies, including the Economic Development Department; the Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department; the New Mexico Environmental Department; the Indian Affairs Department; the New Mexico Department of Agriculture; Department of Workforce Solutions; Public Education Department; and Higher Education Department.

Richardson also announced the release of the New Mexico Green Jobs Guidebook, which provides an overview of green occupations, their education requirements, and resources available at New Mexico colleges and universities. The guidebook is available here.

In addition, Richardson plans to seek legislation to expand the state's renewable energy production tax credit during the upcoming legislative session. The expansion will double the available credit for solar generators, to 1 million MWh.

SOURCE: Office Of Governor Bill Richardson

SunEdison and Xcel Energy team for New Mexico solar installations

2010-01-04T05:37:00.000-05:00

SunEdison, North America’s largest solar energy services provider, a subsidiary of MEMC Electronic Materials, and Xcel Energy’s regional operating company, Southwestern Public Service Company, have announced a deal for five photovoltaic solar installations in New Mexico that will total 50MW in generation capacity.

The five 10MW sites, to be located in Lea and Eddy counties in southeastern New Mexico, will comprise a utility-scale, ground-mount system that will be fully operational by the end of 2011.

This total project will enable Xcel Energy to continue meeting New Mexico’s renewable portfolio standard, which requires that regulated electric utilities meet 15 percent of their electricity needs by 2015, and 20 percent by 2020, through renewable energy sources.

The five installations will be built, financed and maintained by SunEdison, under a 20-year solar power services agreement (SPSA) with Xcel Energy, which will buy the solar power generated by the plant.

‘We are thrilled to begin harvesting New Mexico’s rich solar resources, and we are equally proud to add this project to our growing base of wind energy, as we diversify our renewable energy portfolio,’ said Riley Hill, president and CEO of Southwestern Public Service Company, an Xcel Energy company. ‘We are also pleased to be working with SunEdison, a leader in solar development with the experience and financial strength to ensure a smooth project completion.’

This project eclipses the 8.22MW (DC) solar power system SunEdison activated for Xcel Energy in Alamosa, Colorado in December 2007. At 50MW, the Xcel Energy project will be one of the largest in North America.

Governor of New Mexico Bill Richardson said, ‘Excellent natural resources, competitive incentives and pro business policies have positioned New Mexico at the forefront of the clean energy economy, and our commitment continues to generate economic development and well-paying jobs throughout the state.’

Copyright © 2009 NewNet

Tres Amigas Files with FERC for America's First Renewable Energy Transmission Hub

2009-12-11T08:18:00.001-05:00

Tres Amigas, LLC today announced that it has submitted filings with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) requesting regulatory approvals needed to move forward with the Tres Amigas SuperStation, America's first renewable energy transmission hub.

The SuperStation will be located in Clovis, New Mexico and will for the first time provide the capability to transfer thousands of megawatts of power between the three U.S. power grids -- or "Interconnections" -- known as the Eastern Interconnection, the Western Interconnection and the Texas Interconnection (also known as the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT).

The filings made by Tres Amigas request that FERC:

-- Provide Tres Amigas, LLC with negotiated rate authority over the sale of transmission rights through the SuperStation to allow power to be scheduled between the three U.S. power grids; and

-- Preserve the status quo by disclaiming jurisdiction over ERCOT following its connection to the Tres Amigas project.

"Since announcing the Tres Amigas SuperStation in early October 2009, interest in and support for the project has been simply overwhelming," said Tres Amigas, LLC Chief Executive Officer Phil Harris. "The need for new transmission to take America's renewable energy from its point of generation in remote areas to where it is needed most is self evident. By enabling the exchange of wind, solar and geothermal power between all three grids, the Tres Amigas SuperStation will help break our nation's transmission bottleneck. We believe the merits of this project and the benefits it will provide to the U.S. warrant FERC approval."

Similar to highway rotaries or roundabouts used for traffic flow control, multiple power transmission lines from each of the Interconnections will feed power into and out of the Tres Amigas SuperStation through Superconductor Electricity Pipelines. Tres Amigas will help ensure the efficient and reliable flow of power from multiple generation sources in all three power grids to customers across a wide area of the U.S.

"The United States is embarking on an aggressive renewable energy plan, yet we lack a national transmission backbone to support our vision," U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman stated. "By tying the nation's three power grids together, the Tres Amigas station will catalyze the adoption of renewable power while at the same time increasing the reliability of our electricity network, which is fundamental to the expansion of the U.S. economy."

The Tres Amigas project has received strong endorsements from the state of New Mexico and key industry stakeholders. Following FERC approval, the company will begin negotiating with transmission companies that would like to connect to the SuperStation. Tres Amigas currently has letters of intent with four transmission companies and is in discussions with others. The project is expected to be completed and operational by the end of 2014.

About Tres Amigas, LLC

Tres Amigas, LLC is uniting the nation's electric grid. Utilizing the latest advances in power grid technology, Tres Amigas is focused on providing the first common interconnection of America's three power grids to help the country achieve its renewable energy goals and facilitate the smooth, reliable and efficient transfer of green power from region to region. Tres Amigas, LLC is a merchant transmission entity composed of electric utility industry operational, technology and thought leaders. More information is available at www.tresamigasllc.com.

SOURCE: Tres Amigas, LLC

Department of Energy Announces More Than $104 Million for National Laboratory Facilities

2009-11-18T12:05:00.001-05:00

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – While visiting Sandia National Laboratories, Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman today announced $104.7 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for eight new projects to establish critical research and testing facilities at seven DOE National Laboratories. The projects will support the development and improvement of clean energy and efficiency technologies of strategic national interest. Specifically, the funding will go toward reducing the production cost of carbon fiber manufacturing, to help in reducing the weight of vehicles; improved efficiency and lower costs for car batteries; and net-zero energy building technologies. This effort will leverage the combined intellectual and technical resources of DOE National Laboratories to support technologies that will help transform the economy and create jobs, while decreasing carbon emissions.

"Our National Laboratories are national treasures and home to world-leading science,” said Deputy Secretary Poneman. “As they have since their founding, they are helping us tackle the great challenges of our day, including on energy and climate. Their innovation and ingenuity are helping jumpstart American manufacturing, accelerate job creation and lay the foundation for a clean energy economy."

Projects announced today have been selected in three areas:

* Carbon Fiber Manufacturing and Processing Technologies: Carbon fiber is a light weight, high-strength material that has the potential to revolutionize the automobile and wind industries. Low-cost carbon fiber is critical to reducing the weight of vehicles and thereby raising their fuel efficiency, while maintaining the strength and safety found in steel autobodies.
* Advanced Battery Prototype Fabrication and Testing Facilities: Energy storage technologies, especially batteries and electric drive components, are critical enabling technologies for developing advanced, fuel-efficient vehicles and meeting the Administration’s goal of putting 1 million Plug-In Electric Vehicles on the road by 2015.
* Development of Integrated Building Systems: Buildings account for 40 percent of carbon emissions in the United States. Net-zero energy buildings – those that generate as much energy as they use on an annual basis through high efficiency and on-site renewable energy generation – are a key way to address and reduce these emissions. New laboratory facilities will develop the technologies and design approaches that enable net-zero energy buildings (N-ZEB) at low incremental cost.

The Department of Energy solicited applications from eligible National Laboratories nationwide. Applications underwent a thorough technical review process.

Laboratories selected today include:

* Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Oak Ridge, TN) will receive $34.7 million for carbon fiber manufacturing and processing to construct the Carbon Fiber Technology Center. The Center will investigate novel manufacturing processes and alternative feedstocks in order to lower the cost of carbon fiber from the current $10-$20 per pound to under $5 per pound.
* Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Oak Ridge, TN) will receive $20.2 million to develop an Integrated Net-Zero Energy Buildings Research Laboratory that includes a commercial building field research platform.
* Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley, CA) will receive $15.9 million to build and operate a National User Facility for Net-Zero Energy Buildings Research that will contain a series of coordinated integration test beds that address key technical challenges for net-zero energy buildings.
* National Energy Technology Laboratory (Morgantown, WV) will receive $13.9 million to construct a 35,000 square foot Performance Verification Laboratory to perform nearly 17,000 verifications tests per year on a broad range of residential and commercial appliances.
* Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne, IL) will receive $8.8 million to construct three battery research and development facilities: a Battery Prototype Cell Fabrication Facility, a Materials Production Scale-Up Facility, and a Post-Test Analysis Facility.
* Idaho National Laboratory (Idaho Falls, ID) will receive $5 million to establish a High Energy Battery Test Facility. The High Energy Battery Test Facility will possess capabilities that will enable development of low cost batteries that meet real world performance requirements.
* Sandia National Laboratories (Albuquerque, NM) will receive $4.2 million to modify and enhance its Battery Abuse Testing Laboratory. Abusive testing includes such conditions as over charging, over discharge, short circuits, fire and external heat exposure. The improved battery abuse testing facilities will possess capabilities critical for developing low cost batteries that meet real world performance requirements.
* National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Golden, CO) will receive $2 million to establish a Battery Thermal and Life Test Facility. The Battery Thermal and Life Test Facility will enable researchers to develop lower cost, more robust battery thermal management systems and

PNM Takes a Stand

2009-09-25T08:47:00.000-04:00

By Michael Hartranft
Journal Staff Writer

PNM is ending its eight-year membership in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce because of differences over global warming issues and approach to federal climate change legislation, the company said Thursday.

The nation's largest business association, the chamber has been highly critical of President Barack Obama's efforts to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, with one official recently calling for a 21st-century "Scopes Monkey Trial" over the science of climate change.

PNM, the state's largest utility, and its CEO Jeff Sterba have been leaders nationally in pushing for regulation of greenhouse gases.

PNM spokesman Don Brown said the company views climate change "as the most pressing environmental and economic issue of our time."

"It's not unusual for members of an organization to disagree on issues or an association's stance on a certain issue," Brown said. "But in this case, the climate change issue is so compelling, we felt it best to focus on those relationships that are productive."

He said PNM will lets its chamber membership lapse at the end of the year and continue to work with groups "that share our view on the need for thoughtful, reasonable climate change legislation." They include the Edison Electric Institute, an association of shareholder-owned electric companies, and the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, of which PNM is a founding member. CAP proposed a blueprint for a climate change bill to Congress earlier this year.

"The House bill was remarkably similar to the blueprint," Brown said of the Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade bill passed in June. "It's not a perfect bill, but we supported it. We think largely it is a good bill."

The chamber opposed the House measure, calling it an unrealistic approach that could further harm the economy and cost more American jobs. It says the way to address climate change is through technology and energy efficiency.

PNM's withdrawal comes in the wake of a similar announcement by California utility Pacific Gas and Electric, which cited "fundamental differences" with the chamber on global warming. "The U.S. Chamber does not accept the science of climate change," Brown said. "We believe the science is compelling enough to take action."

The chamber did not respond to a request for comment late Thursday.

PNM PROPOSES SOLAR PROGRAM CHANGES

2009-09-09T16:51:00.000-04:00

PNM, NM’s largest utility, recently filed plans with the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (PRC) to request changes to their solar program incentives and financing mechanisms. PNM appealed to the PRC after projecting its solar program costs would prevent the utility's compliance with both state law (Renewable Energy Act) and PRC regulations. Various renewable energy groups, RE advocates, and legislators in New Mexico oppose these changes on a number of points regarding compensation, location of and ownership of systems, limits on connection and more. NMSEA encourages you to investigate this issue now, then contact your state representatives, the PRC or other officials to express your opinions.

Here are links to some of the information available on this issue:

PNM – Public Service Company of New Mexico
www.pnm.com
PNM Renewable Energy Portfolio Procurment Plan for 2009
http://www.pnm.com/regulatory/pdf_electricity/renewable_plan_2009.pdf
PNM Renewable Energy Portfolio Procurment Plan for 2010
http://www.pnm.com/regulatory/pdf_electricity/renewable_plan_2010.pdf

Community Discussion with Post by PNM Spokesperson
http://www.dukecityfix.com/forum/topics/pnm-proposes-to-discontinue

Legislative Response: Rep. Brian Egolf & Eighteen NM Legislators’ Filing http://www.democracyfornewmexico.com/democracy_for_new_mexico/2009/07/brian-egolf-18-legislators-join-me-in-critical-energy-filing.html#more

PRC - New Mexico Public Regulations Commission
http://www.nmprc.state.nm.us/news.htm

Renewable Energy Industries Association of New Mexico
http://reia-nm.org/

Solar Plant for Elephant Butte

2009-09-02T11:48:00.001-04:00

By Rene Romo
Journal Southern Bureau
LAS CRUCES — San Francisco-based BP Solar International and EnergyNovo of Elephant Butte have signed a letter of intent to develop a photovoltaic solar plant in Sierra County that could generate enough energy to power about 5,000 homes.
“Our objective as a developer is to be green in every way, and we think the solar energy available in New Mexico needs to be put on the grid so that it becomes an option for consumers,” said Greg Neal, managing partner of EnergyNovo, and an officer with Hot Springs Land Development, which owns about 7,000 acres on the northern edge of Truth or Consequences.
“The demand for solar energy is only going to increase.”
The project was announced Monday at a two-day conference called Re-Energize America and held at New Mexico State University.
Neal said the partnership is exploring plans to build a 22-megawatt solar plant on a 160-acre plot owned by Hot Springs Land Development. The project would cost an estimated $130 million to build and, once engineering and permitting are completed, construction could start in about six months.
BP is one of the largest energy companies in the world, and the project would be the firm's first solar power plant in New Mexico.
Deb Witmer, BP Solar's vice president of external affairs and communications, said the company has not yet publicly committed to build the energy plant, but “we are announcing we are working with EnergyNovo to potentially deploy some solar energy in southern New Mexico.”
“A letter of intent is the first step,” Witmer said.
The New Mexico Spaceport Authority has expressed a desire to obtain renewable energy supplies for Spaceport America, which is being built in southern Sierra County, said executive director Steve Landeene. The Spaceport Authority signed a contract Aug. 21 with the Sierra Electric Cooperative to build an electrical substation and 6.5 miles of transmission line to supply Spaceport America with power.
Landeene said he was pleased that EnergyNovo is taking the initiative to provide solar power that could eventually make its way to Spaceport America.

PNM Plans to Issue RFP for PV Systems

2009-08-07T11:51:00.001-04:00

PNM plans to issue a request for proposals Aug. 7 for 4.0 megawatts of customer-sited utility-owned photovoltaic systems. Proposals will be due Sept. 1.
The RFP will seek proposals offering a turn-key solution for the design, engineering, procurement, installation, testing and commissioning of multiple fully integrated PV systems on land tracts and rooftops in the state of New Mexico.
The installed PV systems will be PNM-owned, and will have a single system capacity ranging from 2.0 kilowatts direct current to 250 kWdc, with installation taking place beginning in 2010. PNM plans to obtain the customer-sited locations where installation will take place.
A bidders' conference will be held in Albuquerque Aug. 12. Details for the bidders' conference will be provided in the RFP. PNM will use the bidders' conference to provide more details about the RFP and answer questions. Only those persons, entities or collaborative teams who submit a Notification of Intent to Respond are invited to attend the bidders' conference.
The RFP and all forms required for submission will be available Aug. 7, 2009, at noon MDT on www.pnm.com\rfp\solarpv.
PNM is a subsidiary of PNM Resources, an energy holding company based in Albuquerque, N.M. PNM provides electric utility service to about 495,000 retail customers in New Mexico. The company also sells power on the wholesale market in the West. PNM Resources stock is traded primarily on the NYSE under the symbol PNM. For more information, see the company's Web site at PNM.com.
SOURCE: PNM Resources

PNM to solicit bids to install PV systems

2009-08-03T17:21:00.000-04:00

Public Service Co. of New Mexico will issue a request for proposals on Aug. 7 to build and install 4 megawatts of distributed solar photovoltaic systems that will be owned and run by PNM.

The RFP targets turn-key solutions for the design, engineering, procurement, installation, testing and commissioning of multiple, fully integrated PV systems on land tracts and rooftops in New Mexico.
Click here to find out more!

The completed systems will range from 2 kilowatts of direct current to 250 kWdc. PNM will obtain customer-sited locations for installations to begin in 2010.

The RFP will include details for a bidders’ conference to be held in Albuquerque on Aug. 12. At the conference, PNM will discuss the RFP and answer questions from interested bidders, but participants must submit in advance a “Notification of Intent to Respond” to the RFP to attend the meeting.

The RFP and all forms required for submission will be available at 12 p.m. on Aug. 7 on PNM’s Web site.

Santa Fe bets on SolarLogic startup

2009-07-14T17:24:00.000-04:00

The city of Santa Fe’s Economic Development Department awarded a $30,000 grant to help a new startup, SolarLogic LLC, build out its solar thermal heating business.

SolarLogic, founded last year, offers proprietary technology to streamline the process of designing and installing solar hydronic (water-based) heating systems for homes and buildings. The company developed two products – a Web-based design service to input data for rapid customization of systems, and a pre-fabricated, integrated control system.
Click here to find out more!

The products allow installers to cut the costly and time-consuming design process, which usually requires specialized engineering skills, said SolarLogic CEO Boaz Soifer.

“These are integrated solar systems that provide hot water for domestic use and for pools, while also heating homes with radiant floors,” Soifer said. “Installers incur a lot of overhead by contracting engineers for the design and implementation of those systems. With our technology, they can just input the data through a Web-based designer and then program the integrated controller to run the system.”

Anyone with a heating or plumbing business will be able to specify, quote and install a custom, solar hydronic system, even if they have no previous training, Soifer said. SolarLogic will charge installers for each use of the Web-based design software, and then sell them integrated controllers for use in customized heating systems.

SolarLogic is a spin-off company formed by the owners of Cedar Mountain Solar, a heating design and installation firm in Santa Fe.

“Cedar Mountain Solar provided a breeding ground for a lot of the research and development that led to creation of our new company,” Soifer said.

The funding from Santa Fe will help SolarLogic develop its facilities and acquire needed equipment, said Economic Development Director Fabian Trujillo in a prepared statement.

“SolarLogic’s innovative business model and deep roots in the community make this a good investment,” Trujillo said.

SolarLogic currently employs five and is expected to grow to 18 over the next five years.

But the city expects a lot more job growth as installers begin using the SolarLogic Web-design system, said Kate Noble, special projects administrator with the Economic Development Department.

“This has the potential to blow the market wide open by eliminating the need for specialists to customize systems,” Noble said. “It’s a smart system supported by a Web platform that any installer can use.”

Obama Administration Awards More than $141 Million for State Energy Programs in Six States and Territories

2009-07-13T09:49:00.000-04:00

This is an excerpt from EERE Network News, a weekly electronic newsletter.
July 10, 2009

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Steven Chu announced on July 10 more than $141 million in Recovery Act funding to support energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in Hawaii, Maine, Nebraska, New Mexico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Texas. Under DOE's State Energy Program (SEP), states and territories have proposed statewide plans that prioritize energy savings, create or retain jobs, increase the use of renewable energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This program is part of the Obama Administration's national strategy to support job growth, while making a historic down payment on clean energy and conservation.

"This funding will provide an important boost for state economies, help to put Americans back to work, and move us toward energy independence," said Secretary Chu. "It reflects our commitment to support innovative state and local strategies to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy while insisting that taxpayer dollars be spent responsibly."

The following states and territories are receiving 40% of their total SEP funding authorized under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act today: Hawaii, Maine, Nebraska, New Mexico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Texas.

With today's announcement, these states and territories will now have received 50% of their total Recovery Act SEP funding. The initial 10% of total funding was previously available to states to support planning activities; the remaining 50% of funds will be released once states meet reporting, oversight, and accountability milestones required by the Recovery Act.

Activities eligible for SEP funding include energy audits, building retrofits, education and training efforts, transportation programs to increase the use of alternative fuels and hybrid vehicles, and new financing mechanisms to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy investments.

The Recovery Act appropriated $3.1 billion to the SEP to help promote energy efficiency and clean energy deployment, as well as to support local economic recovery. States use these grants at the state and local level to create green jobs and address state energy priorities.

Transparency and accountability are important priorities for SEP and all Recovery Act projects. Throughout the program's implementation, DOE will provide strong oversight at the local, state, and national level, while emphasizing with states the need to quickly award funds to help create new jobs and stimulate local economies.

NEW MEXICO – $12,728,400 awarded today

New Mexico will use its Recovery Act funding to implement several energy efficiency and renewable energy programs in buildings and the transportation sector. The state aims to reduce petroleum consumption through various financial incentives to encourage the purchase of new fuel-efficient vehicles, the use of alternative fuels and biofuels, and investments in alternative fuel and biofuel infrastructure. The state will also direct Recovery Act funding to increase building efficiency. The program includes initiatives to expand residential weatherization assistance to families above the low-income eligibility threshold for the Weatherization Assistance Program, public building energy efficiency retrofits, commercial building audits and renovations, combined heat and power projects in the industrial sector, and the adoption of energy codes. Both the buildings and transportation programs include provisions to educate citizens about energy issues and provide statewide training for professionals in order to reduce energy consumption across residential, commercial, and industrial sectors.

After demonstrating successful implementation of its plan, the state will receive almost $16 million in additional funding, for a total of nearly $32 million.

Solar Plant Water Usage a Concern

2009-06-28T18:52:00.000-04:00

By John Fleck
28 June
Albuquerque Journal
Journal Staff Writer
Look at any map of U.S. solar energy resources, and you will see a band stretching from southern New Mexico across Arizona and into California that shows promise.
Solar energy advocates see a strip of clean, green power growing up in the region.
But if you think closely about what the map is saying, as Arizona water expert Chris Brooks points out, you will see something else. The potential for a solar bonanza is happening in the driest part of the nation. And solar energy, in its most cost-effective form, uses water.
"You need to put it someplace where the sun shines, and a lot of those places tend to be dry." said Brooks, a Tucson hydrologist and lawyer who writes the Watering the Desert blog.
"It's beginning to be a big concern," said Sandia National Laboratories energy-water expert Mike Hightower.
With large-scale solar barely out of the starting gate in New Mexico, the issue hasn't drawn much attention here. But elsewhere in the west, especially in Nevada and California, solar plants have become caught up in water politics.
Experts note there is nothing special about this particular version of the energy-water debate. Many other sources of electricity, especially coal and nuclear power, use large quantities of water for power plant cooling, just as the new solar plants do.
In New Mexico, in fact, the biggest water hog on the new energy horizon is a big new coal plant proposed for northwestern New Mexico. Meanwhile, solar advocates point to alternative types of sun-fueled power plants they say can produce electricity while cutting back on the amount of water consumed.
In any conversation about a new source of energy, whether it is land converted to growing crops for biofuels, solar power or more conventional power plants, water needs to be part of the discussion, said Sandia's Hightower.
"In reality," Hightower said in an interview, "what the debate should be about is sustainability."
Solar energy's water consumption stems from the use of what is largely the same technology used in coal and nuclear power plants. Heat is used to boil water and drive a steam turbine. Water is used for cooling, and some evaporates in the process.
Thus, for example, the two big coal plants in northwestern New Mexico that provide much of our electricity consume nearly as much water as the entire city of Albuquerque's water consumption, according to data from the New Mexico Office of State Engineer.
The current technology of choice for solar power, large fields of mirrors that concentrate the sun's heat to drive a turbine, operate much the same way.
The first test of the issue here in New Mexico is happening near the New Mexico-Texas border, where a plant being developed by California startup eSolar for El Paso Electric will use a field of mirrors to shine the sun's light at a collector atop a central tower.
Caitlin Cieslik-Miskimen, a spokeswoman for eSolar, said the plant can be built with available water supplies in the area. Cieslik-Miskimen would not reveal water consumption numbers. A calculation by Hightower, based on publicly available data on the project, suggests its annual water consumption could be about the same as 2,000 to 3,000 typical households use in a year.
Meanwhile, New Mexico's second large-scale solar power plant, planned for the state's northeast corner, avoids the water problem by using a different technology. Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association is working with Arizona-based First Solar Inc. to build a power plant that uses photovoltaic panels.
Photovoltaic panels turn sunlight directly into electricity, requiring no cooling water. The tradeoff: They are more expensive than using mirrors to drive a turbine.
PNM, the utility that serves Albuquerque and much of the rest of New Mexico, is also looking at photovoltaic panels to meet its state-mandated solar power requirements, according to Greg Nelson, who heads the utility's renewable energy program. Low water consumption is also a marketing point for Stirling Energy Systems, a company working with Sandia National Laboratories scientists to develop a new type of solar power plant they hope to begin deploying across the West in coming years.
Wind power is also a winner in the water consumption derby, consuming essentially zero water, said Craig O'Hare, who tracks renewable energy projects for the state of New Mexico.
To the extent water consumption becomes a problem, power plant developers, whether using solar energy or traditional fuels, also have the option of shifting to a technology called "dry cooling" that uses far less water — an option also being used for conventionally fueled power plants in water-short regions.
The tradeoff is efficiency. Dry-cooled plants generate less electricity from a given amount of sunlight or fuel, driving up cost.
PNM, for example, used dry cooling to save water at its Afton natural gas plant in southern New Mexico. The plant is a hybrid that sometimes uses water and, when conditions are favorable, sometimes uses dry cooling, explained Michael Greene, who tracks water consumption for the utility.
These days, Greene said, water consumption is "one of the first things we talk about" when company officials discuss new energy sources.
Water problems also have played a major role in the debate over Desert Rock, a large coal-fired generating station on the Navajo Nation near Farmington. Faced with strong opposition, the plant's developers switched from water cooling to a partially dry-cooled design, said project spokesman Frank Maisano. With little water available in the area, what water they do need will be pumped from a deep, non-potable aquifer rather than using surface water, Maisano said.
With water a major issue for many sources of electricity, the issue should not be seen as a deal-killer for a solar boom in New Mexico, said solar advocate Jason Marks, a member of the state's Public Regulation Commission.
"It's a serious issue that needs to be looked at," Marks said in an interview. "I don't think it's an insurmountable barrier."

City's solar energy deal faces obstacles

2009-06-25T06:45:00.000-04:00

Julie Ann Grimm | The New Mexican
6/24/2009 -

The Santa Fe City Council wants to embark on a project that will generate electricity from the sun at eight city facilities. Even though councilors voted to sign contracts to move the alternative-energy deal forward Wednesday, the plan is in limbo while state energy regulators decide how to treat it.

A hearing officer from the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission is soliciting legal briefs on whether state law allows a utility customer like the city to contract for renewable power generation from a third-party company. The commission will consider the testimony before ruling.

The city's contracts call for SunEdison, a solar-energy developer and operator, to pay for, build and operate the project on city land at the wastewater treatment plant, airport, Santa Fe Community Convention Center, police headquarters, Salvador Perez Recreation Center, Fort Marcy Complex, LaFarge Branch Library and the Transit Division building on Siler Road.

The city would pay SunEdison for the energy it uses from the sites and would apply to receive credits from Public Service Company of New Mexico for its mandated renewable-energy standard. Public utilities must generate 10 percent of all power from renewable sources such as solar by 2011 and 20 percent by 2020.

City energy specialist Nick Schiavo calculated that the project would allow the city to reduce its carbon footprint by more than 5 percent per year, or about 4,001 tons of carbon dioxide.

It would provide power to meet between 13 and 93 percent of demand at each facility, depending on the size of the solar panel system and the building's energy use.

Schiavo said Santa Fe is the first city to agree on details of a major, third-party energy project. He's worried, however, that the concept won't move ahead given the current political climate at the PRC.

"I've gone through it as an exercise that we needed to do anyway. It brings this issue to a head," he said. "We are 100 percent ready on this end ... The only holdout is PNM, and they are going to fight it because they want to make the money themselves and they don't want to see it go anywhere else."

But PNM spokesman Don Brown said the power company is most concerned about the "legality" of Santa Fe's proposal to purchase power generated by a private firm.

"We have not made a determination on the city's application," he said Wednesday. "It's our view that state law does not allow a company to generate power and sell it to one of our customers, but that issue is going to be decided by the PRC."

Schiavo said Santa Fe chose the power-purchase agreement route because it does not have the expertise or staff power to maintain its own system. The plan is also attractive because it eliminates up-front capital expenses.

Brendan Miller, the green-economy manager for the state Economic Development Department, said several local government officials in the state have asked him about how alternative energy credit programs could work for them if they want to pursue a third-party plan.

While he defers an opinion on New Mexico's policy to the Governor's Office, Miller said such arrangements can have advantages for nontaxed and institutional entities because they don't have expertise in operating energy systems.

"There are a lot of things to consider, but from a clean-energy, economic-development perspective, third-party partnerships are something that has stimulated growth in other states. We do have some evidence of that," he said.

No one at the governor's press office responded to repeated inquiries about the issue this week.

The state's public utilities and rural electric cooperatives raised the question of third-party energy providers again several months ago, according to PRC Commissioner Jason Marks. But the question has been around for a few years following the PRC's ruling that utilities have to diversify their sources of renewable energy to include utility-scale solar installations.

Utilities have argued that allowing third parties, such as a solar-energy company, to install a system, hook into the power grid and collect money from one of the utility's customers would infringe on the utility company's franchise rights. Power companies like PNM, which provides electricity to Santa Fe and other parts of north-central New Mexico, contend state law prohibits other energy providers from poaching on their service territories.

Marks said Las Cruces and Albuquerque also want to pursue third-party renewable-energy contracts. He said other states, such as Oregon, have said third-party energy provider contracts are allowed. But each state's laws are different.

"In my opinion, this is not just about renewables. From a utility perspective, this part of the law is applicable to any third party supplying any kind of power," he said. "The utilities would not like to open the door to anyone coming in and selling to their customers."

Contact Julie Ann Grimm at 986-3017 or jgrimm@sfnewmexican.com.

Emcore Makes a Solar Power Agreement with New Mexico's PNM

2009-06-23T13:52:00.000-04:00

EMCORE Corporation (EMKR) announced a formal agreement with PNM of New Mexico to participate in PNM's large distributed generation (DG) solar power program. This 20-year agreement with EMCORE consists of 114 kilowatts of solar power produced onsite at EMCORE's corporate headquarters in Albuquerque, N.M.

The power is generated by EMCORE's 2nd and 3rd generation concentrator photovoltaics (CPV) systems installed next to its headquarters' facility in Albuquerque, NM. The power is fed to EMCORE's buildings through a PNM-approved REC meter. Although over one-megawatt EMCORE's CPV systems have been deployed across seven sites throughout the world, this is the first DG application.

Emcore lands $6M deal with Kirtland AFB

2009-06-22T19:26:00.000-04:00

New Mexico Business Weekly, Monday 22 June 09

The Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque awarded Emcore Corp. a $5.7 million contract for development of high-efficiency photovoltaic solar cells for space applications.

The two-year contract includes a provision for an additional 12-month award of $3.4 million for cell development once the base contract has been completed. Funding has been appropriated for the entire contract.

Emcore (NASDAQ: EMKR) manufactures compound semiconductor-based components and subsystems for the broadband, fiber optic, satellite and terrestrial solar power market.

County Jumps in To Save Solar Deal

2009-06-22T11:48:00.000-04:00

Monday, June 22, 2009

By Sean Olson
Copyright © 2009 Albuquerque Journal
Journal Staff Writer
Bernalillo County will have to spend $4.5 million to acquire land for a proposed solar manufacturing site on the far West Side because developer SunCal Cos. couldn't meet deadlines for the project.
SunCal was supposed to acquire and donate the property for the proposed Solar Array Ventures Inc. operation in exchange for the county taking over the developer's obligation to build a water line to the project.
Bernalillo County Manager Thaddeus Lucero said SunCal could not meet a Solar Array Ventures, or SAVe, timeline to acquire the land, forcing the county to take on both the land acquisition and water-line construction responsibilities at a cost of about $8.5 million.
"We can't wait. No one wants to wait," Lucero said.
The county now will fund the project with bond proceeds, but will be paid back through $8.5 million in state money promised by Gov. Bill Richardson's administration. The state money will be doled out to the county over about two years, county economic development coordinator Daniel Gutierrez said. The county will still have to pay some interest on its bonds, he said.
The land donation is part of a nearly $200 million incentive package for the solar manufacturer, which expects to employ about 200 workers by 2010 and eventually more than 1,000.
SunCal has already built more than 1,500 feet of the roughly 2.5 miles of water line needed and is still responsible for grading the land used in the project.
SunCal spokesman David Soyka said in a statement that his company was unable to meet the SAVe deadline to acquire the land and break ground on the project but would continue with the grading process.
SunCal was originally responsible for completing the entire pipeline through a development agreement with the city-county Water Utility Authority. SunCal would have recovered its costs through fees charged to businesses or homes that later hooked into the water line.
But an incentives package the county prepared for SAVe in April expedited the project. In that deal, SunCal would have footed the bill for a $4.5 million parcel of land — of which it already owns a minority interest — and would then have been reimbursed through the county bond proceeds.
Lucero said the county spoke with SunCal last week and learned the company would need 45 to 60 more days to get financing for its share of the upfront costs. That didn't meet SAVe's timeline to break ground on its plant, so the county decided to bypass SunCal and use its bond proceeds to fund the project directly, he said.
Gutierrez said the county couldn't take any chances with delays when it is trying to facilitate a company that would bring high-paying jobs to the county.
"We feel we have a responsibility to keep our obligations (to SAVe)," he said.
Former County Commissioner Deanna Archuleta said in April that SunCal was not totally off the hook for the project because they would still be donating land, donating rights of way and had paid for the water line's design.
The Journal asked SunCal to list all its financial obligations related to the project, including donations. Soyka, in his statement, said SunCal is responsible for grading work. He did not list any other obligations.
SunCal is still responsible for any extensions of the water line extending past the planned SAVe plant through its development agreement with the water authority. Extension of the water line would serve any companies SunCal brings to New Mexico as part of its own West Side development.
The water authority originally approved SunCal's application for the water line to facilitate Tesla Motors, which had been shopping for plant space in New Mexico. When Tesla later decided to locate in California, the agreement was still valid.

Suntech and Underwriters Laboratories open solar photovoltaic testing facility in China

2009-06-18T12:58:00.001-04:00

18th June 2009

Solar photovoltaic manufacturer Suntech Power Holdings Co. has opened its first photovoltaic module testing laboratory in China, alongside Underwriters Laboratories. Located at Suntech’s headquarters in Wuxi, the photovoltaic module testing facility is the largest in China with 1400sqm and 7000sqm of indoor and outdoor testing space, respectively.

Dr Zhengrong Shi, Suntech’s chairman and CEO, said, ‘This new state-of-the-art PV module testing laboratory reflects Suntech’s goal of producing the highest quality and most reliable solar panels in the industry. Underwriters Laboratories has exceptional, globally recognized expertise in quality testing, and it is an honor to be the first solar company in China to be awarded with the Witness Testing Data Program certificate. In close collaboration with UL, this witness testing program will enable us to accelerate the testing and qualification of Suntech PV modules so that we can bring the latest solar technology to our customers as fast as possible. In the current environment, we believe that there is a flight to quality module producers and that customers value our commitment to ensuring the reliability of our products.’

Scot Webster, UL’s SVP of CAS Engineering and Laboratory Operations, added, ‘It is excellent to see the world’s largest crystalline silicon module manufacturer taking the lead in module quality with the establishment of this world-class test laboratory. Suntech has already garnered a reputation for producing premium quality solar products and this new lab will no doubt enhance customer confidence in Suntech products. We look forward to building UL’s relationship with Suntech to certify the safety and quality of ongoing evolutions of solar technology.’

Suntech designs, develops, manufactures, and markets solar products for electric power applications in the residential, commercial, industrial, and public utility sectors.

Suntech designs and delivers commercial and utility scale solar power systems through its wholly owned subsidiary Suntech Energy Engineering and will own and operate projects greater than 10MW in the US through Gemini Solar Development Company, a joint venture with Renewable Ventures, a Fotowatio company.

Copyright © 2009 NewNet

Renewable Energy-Related Legislation and Loan programs in New Mexico

2009-06-18T11:07:00.000-04:00

According to N.M. Stat. § 7-9G-2 enacted in 4th July 2007, all commercial projects in the field of Solar thermal electric, Geothermal electric and Photovoltaics are eligible to avail Advanced Energy Tax Credit(Corporate). All projects approved by the New Mexico Environment Department can get a 6% credit against corporate, withholding or compensating taxes. The eligible generation plant costs under this program includes development and construction expenses, site assessment and engineering, design, carbon dioxide capture, treatment, compression, system acquisition etc. And amount of $60 million was sanctioned under this program. According to SB 237 enacted in 3rd September 2009, Geothermal and Photovoltaic electric systems installed after 1st July 2009 with capacity of 1 megawatt or greater can also apply for the tax credit. But it shouldn't exceed the maximum name-plate capacity of net 700 megawatts. Carryover provision for any sort of unused credit was set at 10 years. And if the claimed amount is more than the taxpayer's liability then it must be carried over for the next 5 years. All the decisions are made by New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department and so an applicant must file for a tax credit after getting certified by the same department. And after the eligible generation plant costs have incurred, the credit must be filed within 1 year.

According to N.M. Stat. § 7-2A-19 enacted in 7th January 2002, all commercial and industrial systems generating electricity from Solar Thermal power, wind, Biomass, anaerobic digestion, Solid Waste are eligible to avail Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit (Corporate). The eligible system must start producing electricity on or before 1st January 2018. The qualified energy generator will be liable to get a tax credit of 1 cent per kilo-watt-hour of the first 400 thousands megawatt-hours in the taxable year. Solar light or solar heat driven generators are limited to get a tax credit for the first 200 thousands megawatt-hours of electricity produced during the taxable year. The amount which can be credited under this tax credit varies greatly based upon the taxable year. A qualified taxpayer is eligible for the renewable energy production tax credit for ten consecutive years. The amount credited to the taxpayer will be deducted from his New Mexico corporate income tax liability for the taxable year. If the amount is more than his corporate income tax liability and the qualified energy generator first produced electric before 1st October 2007, then the excess amount can be carried forward for a period of 5 taxable years. And if it is after 1st October 2007, then the excess amount will be refunded to the taxpayer.

According to N.M. Stat. § 7-2A-21 enacted in 4th January 2009, all new sustainable building constructions in New Mexico or renovation of an existing building in New Mexico into a sustainable one, are eligible to avail Sustainable Building Tax Credit (Corporate). This tax credit is available in Residential, Commercial and multi-family residential sectors. The taxpayer must be the owner of the building at the time when it gets certified by the LEED green building rating system or the build green New Mexico rating system. The amount that can be credited will be calculated based on the certification level and qualified occupied square footage in the sustainable building. Taxpayer must apply for the certification from the departments of energy, minerals and natural resources. The total amount of sustainable building tax credits should not exceed in any year an average amount of $5,000,000 for commercial buildings and $1,250,000 for sustainable residential buildings. The certification level must be submitted to the taxation and revenue department to become eligible for the tax credit. After the document granting sustainable tax credit has been issued, it can be sold or transferred and the department must be notified of the same within 10 days. If the amount to be credited is more than the taxpayer liability then the excess amount can be carried over for up to next 7 years. According to SB 291 of 2009 nonprofits are also eligible to apply for the certification and transfer the tax credits or even sell them. Moreover, entities who do not have enough taxes to become eligible for the tax credit, can also sell it to other parties that can pay the taxes. This information was independently researched and published for Solar Power Authority.

According to N.M. Stat. § 7-9J-1 enacted on 4th March 2007, all alternative energy products, vehicles or components are eligible to get Alternative Energy Product Manufacturers Tax Credit. Alternative energy products or vehicles include fuel cell system, renewable energy system or any component of an alternative energy vehicle. The taxpayer must have made the purchase of manufacturing equipment after 1st July, 2006 and it must be certified by the department. Various renewable energy systems eligible for this tax credit are solar thermal energy system, photovoltaic energy system, biomass and wind energy system, battery cell energy system etc. the taxpayer must have employed at least one full time employee for at least one year prior to the day on which the tax credit was claimed. An amount of not more than 5% of the total expenses can be claimed.

According to SB 237 enacted on 3rd September 2009, all solar thermal electric plants and associated energy devices can get Advanced Energy Tax Credit (Personal). Under this program 6% tax credit can be clamed against gross recipients or withholding taxes. Photovoltaic or geothermal electric generators were also added by SB 237. The maximum tax credit amount cannot exceed an amount of $60 million. And unused tax credit can be carried forward for the next 10 years.

According to NM Stat. § 7-2-18.14 enacted on 3rd June 2006, a taxpayer purchasing and installing solar thermal system or photovoltaic system on or after 1st January 2006 can claim Solar Market Development Tax Credit. It will cover 30$ of the total purchase and installation costs. Eligible sectors are residence, business or agricultural enterprises in New Mexico. An amount up to $2 million for solar systems and $3 million for photovoltaic systems can be allowed by the department. Until the credit gets fully expanded it can be forwarded for next 10 years.

El Paso Electric in New Mexico started purchasing renewable energy certificate (REC) from all taxpayers in New Mexico who own photovoltaic systems capable of producing a maximum of 10 kilowatts. This way, homeowners can easily avail financial incentives to buy and install Photovoltaic systems. From March 2006, PNM also started purchasing RECs from New Mexico customers with a capacity of producing electricity up to 1 megawatt. Xcel Energy also purchases RECs for systems with a capacity in between 0.5 kilowatt and 10 kilowatt.

New Mexico State Government has gross receipts tax structure under which each business is taxed based on the total amount of transaction before deducting the expenses. So, revenue generated from solar systems for space heat, hot water or electricity is deducted from the gross receipts before calculating the tax.

Rebate programs

Central New Mexico Electric Cooperative - Residential Energy Efficiency Rebate Program

Central New Mexico Electric Cooperative (CNMEC) has started an incentive program under which all New Mexico residents who want to install renewable energy products in their homes can avail various rebates on the purchase made. The rebate can also be availed for replacement installments. To become eligible the applicant must belong to CNMEC's service area. An amount up to $70 can be availed through this rebate program for purchasing a renewable energy product. And extra $50 will be provided as bonus if the system has a timer or low-wattage element. And the applicant must make the claim for the rebate within 180 days of the purchase of the system.

Kit Carson Electric Cooperative - ETS System Rebate Program
Under this utility rebate program, Kit Carson Electric Cooperative has started incentive program for its New Mexico customers who are willing to install energy efficient cooling/heating equipment. Customers can also apply for various discounts available for Electric Thermal Storage (ETS) systems. The amount of rebate will be in the range of $900 to $3000 and it will greatly depend on the size of the system.

PNM - Commercial Energy Efficiency Rebate Program
This utility rebate program from PNM is applicable to only in commercial sector. Customers can increase the energy efficiency of their buildings through this incentive program. Eligible technologies under this rebate program are lighting, advanced evaporative coolers. Advanced evaporative coolers can avail incentives up to $500 and for lighting it will decided based on the lighting type.

NRG, eSolar Plan 92MW Solar Thermal Project in New Mexico

2009-06-13T09:10:00.001-04:00

By Ucilia Wang

NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG) plans to build a 92-megawatt solar thermal power plant and sell the electricity to El Paso Electric (NYSE: EE) in New Mexico, the company said Thursday.

The project would use equipment from Pasadena, Calif.-based eSolar, whose senior vice president of engineering, Craig Tyner, let slip last week that the company would be announcing, along with NRG, a power contract within a week.

NRG, based in Princeton, N.J., plans to bring the plant online in the summer of 2011. It could become the first commercial solar thermal power plant in New Mexico, the companies said. The plant would sit on a 450-acre private land in Dona Ana County, near the border and about 10 miles from El Paso, Texas.

The deal is the first power sales contract announced by NRG since NRG agreed to pay $10 million to eSolar earlier this year for power projects eSolar had been developing developing (see With NRG Deal, eSolar Shifts from Power Provider to Equipment Maker). The deal with eSolar represented NRG's foray into the solar market, the company said.

Like many other solar startups, eSolar initially wanted to be both a technology developer and power plant owner and operator.

But the costs and other resources required to do both were too high for a startup like eSolar, Tyner said last week. CEO Bill Gross was looking to sell a 10 percent stake in eSolar earlier this year (see Got Money? eSolar Needs New Investors).

The company would focus on selling equipment and licensing its technology for now. ESolar has licensed its technology to the Acme Group, which has vowed to build up to 1 gigawatt of solar power plants over the next 10 years in India (see eSolar's Transformation Continues With Indian Deal and Making Money From the Indian Sun). Acme agreed to invest $30 million in eSolar.

NRG and eSolar said they plan to work together on building up to 500 megawatts of solar farms in California and southwestern states. One of the projects is the 245-megawatt solar farm that eSolar agreed in 2008 to build to sell electricity to the Southern California Edison.

Solar thermal power comes from the use of mirrors to concentrate the sun to heat fluids for generating steam, which is then piped to a turbine for power generation. Solar thermal power developers say they could deliver cheaper electricity than other types of solar technologies, such as the use of solar panels.

Very few solar thermal power plants have been built in the last two decades in the United States and elsewhere in the world. Power plants that use coal or natural gas can produce much cheaper power than those using the sunlight.

At 92 megawatts, the project is small compared with some of the other solar thermal power projects under development in California, Arizona and Nevada.

The largest utility in Arizona, the Arizona Public Service, recently signed a power purchase agreement with Starwood Energy to buy power from a 290-megawatt, not-yet-built solar thermal power plant.

Starwood is hiring Lockheed Martin to design, build and operate the project, which should be completed in 2013.

GOV Richardson's MOU with Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry

2009-06-07T09:20:00.000-04:00

In May, GOV Richardson signed a memorandum of understanding with Toshihiro Nakai, Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry. This could facilitate tens of millions of dollars in Japanese public and private investment in clean energy and smart grid technology. The MOU doesn't contain funding commitments. Both sides, however, are discussing agreements to facilitate Japanese participation in a New Mexico smart grid project.

Nikkei Article on Japanese Involvement in New Mexico Smart Grid Project

2009-06-07T09:15:00.000-04:00

Here is the full story from Nikkei.com on the Japanese consortium and their smart grid plans in New Mexico. I am contacting NM state officials and the Japanese companies to see if I can get more info:

TOKYO (Nikkei)--About a dozen large Japanese firms, including Hitachi Ltd. (6501) and Toshiba Corp. (6502), are expected to join forces to construct in the U.S. a smart grid that could be up and running at the end of 2010.

Smart grids are next-generation power transmission and distribution networks that use digital technology to efficiently control the flow of electricity. They are expected to lead to increased use of such alternative energy sources as the sun and the wind.

Construction of the grid is to begin around October in an undetermined New Mexico city with about 1,000 families. The project will be led by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, or NEDO, with the Japanese government to shoulder the initial costs of 2-3 billion yen.

Although NEDO will solicit participants publicly, the firms that sign up are expected to be mainly those that took part in a Japan-U.S. research project in April. This includes power-related companies Hitachi, Toshiba and Fuji Electric Holdings Co. (6504) unit Fuji Electric Systems Co., as well as such others as general contractor Shimizu Corp. (1803) and electronics giant Panasonic Corp. (6752).

The smart grid is expected to include a new solar power generation system able to provide about a quarter of the 5,000kw total electric service contract for the city, in addition to such other facilities as a 1,000kw power storage system.

The grid will be able to provide a stable supply of power by storing electricity at night in batteries. The Japanese firms are to manage the grid even after it is activated, controlling the entire system via the Internet to balance power supply and demand.

In the U.S., the Obama administration earmarked 4.5 billion dollars, or about 430 billion yen, for smart-grid research and testing in the economic stimulus package drawn up this February. By some estimates, the smart-grid-related market in North America will grow more than 20% a year over the next five years and reach 4.7 billion dollars in 2013.

Japanese corporations have been marketing such products as solar cells and rechargeable batteries individually in the U.S., but now believe that setting up a stable smart grid there will help improve their name recognition and lead to more orders.

Japanese Consortium Involvement in New Mexico Smart Grid

2009-06-07T09:00:00.000-04:00

We are still fuzzy on the details but it looks like a consortium of Japanese companies that may include Hitachi (HIT), Toshiba (TOSBF.PK), Fuji and Panasonic (PC) have set their sights on building a smart grid project in an unnamed New Mexico town, according to news reports Friday.

Details on the plan, which emerged Friday from the Nikkei news service (via Green Car Congress), are sketchy. The project, planned for an unnamed New Mexico town with about 1,000 families, is meant to get underway in October, the report said.

The initial cost of the project – 2 billion to 3 billion yen, or $20 million to $30 million, according to reports – is to be covered by the Japanese government and is expected to include battery-based energy storage and solar power systems, the report said.

The project is to be led by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, a Japanese government group, the report said. While that group will seek bidders on the project, the report said that they will likely include Hitachi, Toshiba, Fuji Electric Holdings Co., Panasonic Corp. and general contractor Shimizu Corp., which were also involved in a U.S.-Japan research project earlier this year.

Solar Array Details New Mexico Expansion

2009-06-05T18:02:00.000-04:00

From New Mexico Business Weekly, 4 June:

Joe Hudgins, president and CEO of Solar Array Ventures, outlined his company’s plan to build a massive solar manufacturing plant on the city’s Westside.

Hudgins said Solar Array plans to break ground by the third quarter of this year on a 225,000-square-foot thin-film photovoltaic manufacturing plant in the Cordero Mesa business park, west of the Tempur-Pedic mattress factory. The company plans to add three more buildings of that size as it grows, he said, with each facility employing about 225. Its annual payroll in the first phase would be $14 million. About five percent of the jobs would pay $100,000, 45 percent would pay $70,000 and half of the jobs would pay $45,000.

The capital investment for the first phase will be $170 million and the company would spend $40 million annually for raw materials. The first phase is expected to have a capacity of 75 megawatts, but that would grow to 300 mw with the full buildout. The plant also will have a space that will serve as a community and educational center.

Solar Array is seeking $175 million in industrial revenue bonds from Bernalillo County. The company is working to raise $210 million in debt and equity, Hudgins said.

Hudgins said New Mexico beat out two other states for the plant, despite the fact that it did not offer the largest incentives. But the coordination among local and state government officials and other parties made New Mexico far more efficient in establishing a planning framework that the company could then use to plan a budget for the plant, he said

“That was a major issue for us,” Hudgins said.

He also praised the labor force here and the educational institutions. The facility is being designed by PageSoutherlandPage LLP, which has Texas offices in Austin, Dallas and Houston, as well as Denver, Washington, D.C. and London, U.K. Hoffman Construction, based in Portland, Ore., is building the facility.

Energy ordinance would help Santa Fe residents go green

2009-06-05T08:31:00.001-04:00

Staci Matlock | The New Mexican

6/4/2009 - 6/3/09

Santa Fe County could be the first county in New Mexico to create an ordinance that will help homeowners purchase solar, wind or geothermal energy systems with almost no up-front cash.

Santa Fe County staff hope to have a draft ordinance for county commissioners by July. Commissioner Kathy Holian said she plans to introduce it.

The Legislature passed two bills in the 2009 session that allow counties to voluntarily establish special renewable energy tax assessment districts. The bills were modeled on similar loan programs in Berkeley and Palm Desert, Calif.

Counties who approve the special tax districts would offer low-interest loans to property owners who want to install solar photovoltaic panels, solar water heaters, wind turbines or ground-source heat pumps. Participating in the program would be voluntary for homeowners.

The renewable energy loan payments would be paid back through property taxes.

Coupled with existing state and federal tax credits, the loans would allow a homeowner to more easily cover the price of a renewable energy system that can cost thousands of dollars. In addition, Public Service Company of New Mexico pays customers for each kilowatt hour of electricity produced by a solar photovoltaic system.

The New Mexico Association of Counties, state agencies and the New Mexico Renewable Energy Industries are working with Santa Fe County to create a model renewable energy loan ordinance that other counties can use.

The bills were sponsored by Santa Fe legislators Rep. Brian Egolf and Sen. Peter Wirth. Cities from Los Alamos to Las Cruces are calling to find out more about the renewable energy loans, Wirth said.

Creating the ordinance, though, is no easy task. "We're knee-deep in the process of getting an ordinance put together," said Rep. Brian Egolf, D-Santa Fe.

The ordinance crafters have to first figure out the funding sources for the renewable energy loans.

Wirth's bill authorizes counties to sell bonds, with the revenue paying for the loans and administrative costs.

Egolf's bill focuses on solar energy loans and would allow homeowners to obtain the loans from any qualified bank, credit union or other lender. Egolf said the state Regulation and Licensing Department will determine which entities can make the loans available.

"It would be outstanding if this program could be up and running in August," Egolf said. He's worried a long delay will actually hurt solar installers, whose customers may wait to order systems until the loans are available.

Egolf and Duncan Sil, Santa Fe County's economic development director, said the renewable energy ordinance must be flexible, allowing loans from both private and public funds. "We have to look at all the options available that would make renewable energy (systems) more accessible and more affordable," Sil said.

Sil said the federal government is making available a new tax-credit bond through the economic stimulus package, which could be used for the renewable energy loans. Instead of investors earning a guaranteed interest like on typical bonds, the tax-credit bonds would provide investors with a federal tax credit.

Randy Sadewic of the Santa Fe-based solar company Positive Energy, said his worst fear is "that this is a great program and there's a stampede and there's not enough (loan) money. This has happened before."

Holian said she's excited about the renewable energy loans. "When we actually implement this we'll hold town halls to really explain this to people."

Positive Energy expands to Duke City

2009-05-28T17:35:00.001-04:00

Positive Energy Solar will expand from Santa Fe to Albuquerque June 1. It will occupy an office at 100 Arno NE, Suite A, in the East Downtown district.

A full-service renewable energy company founded in 1997, Positive Energy has doubled in the past three years.
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The company wanted a presence in Albuquerque and located in EDO because of its proximity to the Rail Runner commuter train, which runs between Belen and Santa Fe. Tim McGivern will be the company’s Albuquerque sales and service representative,

PES customers include large commercial enterprises as well as smaller residential installations. Solar applications are increasing because of higher energy costs, lower solar module costs and a 40 percent federal and state tax credit available for qualifying applications.

The new office will be powered by solar modules in the form of door and window awnings, and EPS is in preliminary discussions about a rooftop installation to power the common area of one of EDO condominium buildings.

New Mexico Can Became Renewable Energy Leader, Denish Says

2009-05-15T11:48:00.000-04:00

By Michael Hartranft
Copyright © 2009 Albuquerque Journal
Integrating energy policy into the state's economic development strategy is the focus of New Mexico First's latest town hall, which kicked off Thursday in Albuquerque.
About 200 people — including business and community leaders, environmentalists, energy company representatives and state and local policy-makers — are attending the three-day conference, “Growing New Mexico's Energy Economy.”
Participants broke into small discussion groups and by this weekend plan to produce a packet of recommendations on economic growth possibilities related to the state's energy resources: coal, oil, natural gas, wind generation, uranium, solar and geothermal.
“In each group, there a couple of oil and gas people, a couple of renewable people, a couple of transmission people, a couple of take care of low-income people people,” said New Mexico First president Heather Balas. “You throw all those folks together and you say OK, what do you all believe in together?”
The recommendations will be forwarded to policy makers.
A roundtable discussion on topics ranging from the optimum mix of energy sources to the future of coal set the stage Thursday.
Coal, an abundant, relatively cheap fuel, generates 80 percent of the state's electricity. But state Rep. Thomas Taylor, R-Farmington, said, “One of the problems is it has been so vilified.” He said it's unlikely many more coal-fired power plants will be built.
“The future of coal will be the process of making old plants as clean as possible,” he said, noting, “you can't convert an old Model T into a Ferrari.”
State Rep. Patricia Lundstrom, D-Gallup, said a task force is looking into issues concerning new uranium mining, and she has heard that there is already a consensus to clean up old contamination before permitting any new operations.
Keynote speaker Lt. Gov. Diane Denish said New Mexico has the renewable resources to become a global leader in building a new energy-based economy.

MSNBC Article on SCHOTT Plant

2009-05-12T13:15:00.001-04:00

The new SCHOTT plant is getting a lot of media attention. Here is an MSNBC article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30701631/

SCHOTT Opened New Facility

2009-05-12T09:55:00.000-04:00

SCHOTT opened their new Albuquerque PV manufacturing facility on Monday with its 300 workers which will grow to 350 by the end of the year.

At first, Scott's plant will be capable of producing between 65 megawatts and 85 MW of PV solar modules annually, though production will not go as high as 85 MW this year, Schott Solar CEO Gerald Fine said in an interview.

There was also big news on Monday that Suntech will open a US manufacturing plant. Suntech CEO Shi Zhengrong said that state renewable incentives have been a key in their decision to expand into North America. Hopefully, New Mexico has been showing off what an attractive state it is for solar.

Clean Energy and Economy Town Hall

2009-05-10T09:19:00.000-04:00

Good article about a Clean Energy and the Economy Town Hall meeting. The panel discussion was hosted by KNME's Gene Grant and streamed live on kunm.org.

http://www.nmfbihop.com/diary/2805/clean-energy-and-the-economy-town-hall

El Paso Electric says income down 34%

2009-05-07T06:45:00.000-04:00

May 6 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Vic Kolenc El Paso Times, Texas

Decreased electric sales tied to a slower economy and mild weather played a part in cutting El Paso Electric's first-quarter income by almost 34 percent compared with a year ago, the company reported Tuesday.

Increased debt costs also reduced earnings, the company reported.

The company's profit was $9.6 million, or 21 cents a share, in the first three months of the year, compared with $14.5 million, or 32 cents a share, a year ago.

Ryan McLean, an analyst for Morningstar, a Chicago investment research firm, said El Paso Electric's earnings decline was no surprise considering that the entire electric utility industry is seeing declines in electric use tied to the national recession.

"El Paso Electric doesn't stand out in reporting a decline in power consumption. I've seen similar drops with other utilities," McLean said.

Off-system sales were reduced almost by half in the first quarter to $38.6 million.

Profit from those sales, which the company partly shares with customers, declined by more than half to $6.7 million. The decline was due to lower electric market prices and decrease in sales, the company reported.

Retail electric use declined 4.5 percent. Revenues from retail sales declined by $1.7 million to $102.3 million, a 1.7 percent decline.

Large commercial customers have decreased electric use because of a slower economy, particularly in manufacturing, said Steve Busser, the company's treasurer. Milder than

normal weather also reduced residential electric use, he said.

El Paso Electric CEO David Stevens said the first-quarter financial results were disappointing. But the company "hit some operational targets" in the quarter, he said.

One of those targets is the Newman power plant expansion. The first phase of the expansion should begin delivering additional power to the utility by the end of this month, Stevens said.

El Paso Electric's stock closed Tuesday at $13.74 per share, just a penny below its Monday closing on the New York Stock Exchange.

Vic Kolenc may be reached at vkolenc@elpasotimes.com; 546-6421.

For more information: www.epelectric.com.

Las Cruces franchise

--El Paso Electric continues to negotiate with Las Cruces for a new electric franchise agreement.

--The old, nine-year agreement expired last month.

--The utility hopes to get an agreement for 20 years or more, El Paso Electric CEO Da vid Stevens said.

Financial highlights

El Paso Electric first-quarter financial highlights:

--Total electric sales: $190.4 million, down 21 percent.

--Profit: $9.6 million, down 33.8 percent.

--Customers: 365,291, up 1.6 percent.

Clean Energy and the Economy Town Hall

2009-05-06T12:30:00.001-04:00

Saturday May 9, 2009

Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) – Smith Brasher Hall Auditorium

717 University Boulevard SE / Albuquerque , NM

Come join Albuquerque-area residents and local leaders to discuss how wind, solar, and other renewable energies can create green-collar jobs and grow our economy, while ending our dependence on foreign oil and protecting the climate. Discuss how clean energy benefits New Mexicans, and learn how we can build a clean energy economy here in the Land of Enchantment !

Pre-panel Discussions with Community Gruops (2pm-3pm)

Featured Discussion Topics:

* The Potential for Green Jobs in New Mexico : Examining State Opportunities within the Green Industry Sector and Federal and State Green Initiatives, with New Mexico Youth Organized
* Impacts of Climate Change on Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat in New Mexico , with New Mexico Wildlife Federation
* Cool Cities: Taking the Lead in Clean Energy & Climate Protection, with Sierra Club
* Policy and Legislation: Clean Energy Solutions for our Climate and Economy, with Conservation Voters New Mexico and Greenpeace
* Moral and Ethical Implications of Climate Change Actions: Greening Congregations and Homes and Advocating for Justice and Creation Care in Policy Concerns, with New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light

Clean Energy & the Economy Town Hall (3pm-4:30pm)

Featured speakers include:

* Congressman Martin Heinrich, U.S. House of Representatives
* Brendan Miller, Green Economy Manager, NM Department of Economic Development
* Laura McCarthy, The Nature Conservancy
* Odes Armijo-Caster, President, Renewable Energy Industries Association of NM
* Mary Lou Leonard, Associate Director, Albuquerque Environmental Health Department
* Moderator: Gene Grant, KNME/NM In Focus

Albiasa to Build Arizona CSP Plant

2009-04-22T09:52:00.000-04:00

Just got this off of Clean Tech Brief:

Albiasa Corp, a Spanish company with operations in the United States, plans to build a $1 billion concentrated solar power plant near Kingman, Arizona.

The 200MW facility will be built on 1,400 acres of private land, creating 2,000 temporary jobs and 100 full-time jobs once the plant begins operations in 2013.

Albiasa has several solar plants in Spain, chiefly powered by photovoltaic cells, and is in the process of constructing a 50MW concentrated solar plant. The Arizona plant would be the company’s first U.S. location.

“Concentrated solar power uses parabolic mirrors to track and reflect the sun’s rays into tubes of fluid that are heated and sent to a generating station, where the heat is used to power a steam turbine. Albiasa’s plant will use a thermal storage of molten salt as a way to expand the times that the plant can produce power,” Jesse Tippett, director of the company’s U.S. operations, told the Phoenix Business Journal.

The plant will be Arizona’s second concentrated solar power facility, following the 2008 decision of Abengoa Solar to build a 250MW solar plant near Gila Bend.

Solar Panel Plant Gets First Incenitve

2009-04-14T11:56:00.000-04:00

excellent article in Albuqueque Journal about Solar Array Ventures receving county level incentive :

By Sean Olson
Journal Staff Writer
Solar panel manufacturer Solar Array Ventures Inc. got its first incentive from Bernalillo County on Monday night along with first approvals on two others, altogether worth nearly $200 million.
The County Commission voted unanimously to direct county staff to negotiate two bond deals. They include a $175 million industrial revenue bond and another $13 million bond to build a water line to the company's planned first plant on the county's far west side.
Both bond packages, when finalized, will have to be approved again by the commission.
The Austin-based startup company is planning to build the plant in the Cordero Mesa business park due west of the Tempur-Pedic mattress factory. Solar Array Ventures — or SAVe — executives have said the plant should offer more than 200 high-paying, full-time jobs by the end of 2010.
"We want people to work. We want people to have jobs, and we want them to give back to the community. This is a win-win situation," Commissioner Alan Armijo said.
Commissioners also authorized waiving the plant's impact fees, saving the company about $400,000 on its construction costs.
SAVe executives, along with the county, announced their plans to the Journal on Thursday.
The company also plans to expand its operation in New Mexico in the coming years, adding three new plants and providing more than 1,000 full-time jobs when the expansions are complete.
County economic development coordinator Daniel Gutierrez said at the meeting that, in addition to adding hundreds of construction jobs, building the new plant will inject money into other sectors of the local economy. He said the county estimates that more than $2 million will be spent on hotel rooms for contractors' employees.
SAVe chief financial officer Everett Rogers told commissioners at the meeting that New Mexico beat out Texas and New York in a competition that involved incentives and other intangibles the company was looking for. New Mexico won, he said, partly because of how well the county and other agencies had facilitated meeting the company's needs.
"New Mexico, interestingly enough, was not the best offer, with the best offer meaning the most money," Rogers said. Commissioners praised the deal that brought the company to the state.
"It's apparent that county government is open for business," Commissioner Michael Brasher said.

Counties Weighing New Solar Panel Tax Program

2009-04-14T11:00:00.000-04:00

HB 572 will be implemented county-by-county in New Mexico. Before this bill and for counties yet to implement, most customers would pay the roughly $24,000 for a 3-kilowatt system up front by getting a second mortgage or cashing in their stocks. Under the new law, customers would pay about $2,200 a year plus interest over 20 years through their property taxes.

More information on this solar panel tax program in an excellen Doug Mattson article:

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/Counties-weighing-new-solar-panel-tax-program

Secretary Chu at Sandia and LANL

2009-04-11T13:42:00.000-04:00

It will be interested how much SEC Chu's talk this week will translate into funding for energy research in New Mexico:

http://albuquerque.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/stories/2009/04/06/daily51.html

Solar Did Well in State Legislature

2009-04-05T06:35:00.000-04:00

Jay Miller has a good blog about how renewables did in the New Mexico Legislature. He quotes solar industry representatives who seem pleased. GOV Richardson has a consistently strong track record in supporting solar:

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Opinion/Renewable-energy-did-OK-in-Legislature

2 Green Bills Pass

2009-03-24T18:18:00.001-04:00

March 24th, 2:45 pm Pacific: HB622, which will help community colleges create green jobs curriculums throughout the state, passed in the final minutes of the 2009 session.

This makes 2 green jobs bills (HB622 and SB318) that made it through the New Mexico legislature.

Tri-State, First Solar 30MW Plant Agreement

2009-03-24T17:33:00.000-04:00

A New Mexico Business Weekly article on the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association's agreement to build a 30MW solar plant with First Solar:

http://albuquerque.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/stories/2009/03/23/daily21.html?ana=e_du_pub

Rodey creates New Ventures Group

2009-03-23T18:28:00.000-04:00

The Rodey Law Firm has created a new group focused on finance, intellectual property and entity formation.

The Rodey New Ventures Group offers what the firm calls “a comprehensive project package of legal expertise.” Its services include protecting inventions and creativity derived from new ventures and structuring financings to take such ventures to the next level.

“Technology companies, green-energy companies, inventors and others come to our firm looking for help in multiple areas,” said Charles Vigil, Rodey’s managing director. “This group exists to respond to their specific organizational, finance and legal structure needs and objectives.”

Donald Monnheimer and Mike Morgan chair the New Ventures Group. Current clients include individuals, corporations and educational institutions.

Stimulus Funds to Strengthen New Mexico's Clean Energy Sector

2009-03-23T10:30:00.000-04:00

I have heard that GOV Richardson is in the process of putting together a committee to manage the stimulus funds going to state's renewable energy.

Interesting article about what the stimulus package means to New Mexico's renewable energy sector. Written by Kevin Robinson-Avila in the New Mexico Business Weekly

http://albuquerque.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/stories/2009/03/23/story4.html?b=1237780800^1797603&ana=e_vert

Energy conference at NMSU on Thursday, 19 March

2009-03-16T11:58:00.000-04:00

New Mexico Conference from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday at NMSU's Corbett Center Senate Chambers.

The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. For more information or to register, e-mail energyconference@business.nmsu.edu.

The keynote speaker is former Sen. Pete Domenici, discussing "New Mexico's energy future." Other speakers will cover topics including energy prices, tax policy, the future of fossil fuels and the economic impact of federal energy expenditures in New Mexico.

The event is part of NMSU's Arrowhead Center Prosper Project, an effort to study relationships between fossil fuel production, economic development and water in the state. Arrowhead Center's mission is to promote economic development and student engagement in New Mexico. Last year, Arrowhead Center received a three-year, $1.2 million grant for the project from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory.

"Energy, economic development and water are the three most important issues facing New Mexico," said Jim Peach, co-director of Arrowhead Center's policy analysis unit.

Academy Group Offers New Sputtering Targets

2009-03-16T07:19:00.001-04:00

Albuquerque, N.M.-based Academy Group has announced the development of high-performing sputtering targets in planar and rotatable format utilizing internally generated Green Silver as its feedstock. These sputtering targets are used in the manufacturing of thin-film solar PV modules, as well as for other purposes.

Since 1976, Academy has been refining and recycling a variety of scrap materials in silver and gold. With the constant influx of recyclable materials, Academy utilizes the upgraded material in its sputtering target manufacturing, leading to lower energy consumption, according to the company.

Academy Group: (505) 343-9440

SOURCE: Academy Group

NM State Senate Bill 257 on to House and Governor

2009-03-09T13:26:00.000-04:00

LEGISLATIVE ALERT:
SENATE BILL 257, TAX CREDIT: The New Mexico Solar Energy Association has learned that the proposed legislation for a New Mexico State tax credit for the installation of solar and other renewable energy systems has passed unanimously in the State Senate. If it passes the House and is signed by the Governor, this would add a 10% State tax credit to the 30% Federal credit that was approved in December, for a total credit of 40%. This would be a much better incentive for property owners who can afford to make the investment. Unfortunately, State revenues have fallen, and this credit would further reduce those revenues. However, this is an important incentive to the RE industry, so if you feel this measure should be approved, please contact the bill’s sponsor, Tim Keller, and your own local Representative to encourage them to get this done. Here is contact information for Senator Keller:
District: 17
County: Bernalillo
Senator Since: 2009
Occupation: Businessman
Address: 11023 Vistazo Place SE
Albuquerque, NM 87123
Capitol Phone: 986-4260
Office Phone: (505) 332-9441
Home Phone:
E-mail: tk@timkellerfornewmexico.com

Mesa del Sol Staff Cut

2009-03-06T17:42:00.000-05:00

This news came out of New Mexico Business Weekly today. I will continue to watch how it affects Advent and SCHOTT:

Mesa del Sol’s staff is being cut in half and its residential development plans have been put on hold indefinitely.

Developer Forest City Covington blamed current economic conditions for the cuts but expressed optimism long term for the 12,000 acre development near Albuquerque’s Sunport International Airport.

The layoffs will reduce Mesa del Sol’s staff from its current 18 to nine over the coming months. It’s the second round of cuts since last November, when Forest City pink slipped the project’s economic development team.

Home building was to begin late this year with 200 homes, but no new date was given for a residential ground breaking by Michael Daly, president of Mesa del Sol.

Home building throughout the Duke City has virtually come to a halt the past six months and new home starts at seven-year-old Mesa del Sol have been put off several times already.

“We are continuing our efforts of actively recruiting companies and tenants for our properties, but with the economy in its current state and with a difficult credit market, we had to make some important decisions about Mesa del Sol,” said Daly. “These moves will help position Mesa del Sol for growth once the economy recovers while preserving resources.”

“Our plan for Mesa del Sol is that it will be developed over the next 35 to 50 years. We know in the real estate business that there are ups and downs and unfortunately, we are working with a down market.”

Daly said the soft housing market and the problems in the credit market were key determinates in these decisions, adding Mesa del Sol’s economic development efforts have resulted in bringing new jobs to New Mexico, with 10,000 projected jobs when Albuquerque Studios, Advent Solar, SCHOTT Solar, Fidelity Investments, the Reelz Channel and Molina Healthcare are all at full capacity.

Daly emphasized that Mesa del Sol remains firmly committed to Albuquerque and will continue to deliver on its commitment to bring jobs to New Mexico.

Advent Named ACE Award Finalist

2009-03-05T10:56:00.000-05:00

Advent Solar has been named a finalist in EE Times’ fifth annual ACE Awards in the Most Innovative Renewable Energy Technology category. The ACE awards are designed to honor the creators of technology who demonstrate leaderships and innovation in the global industry. Advent Solar was selected for this honor based on its development of Ventura(TM) Technology, a comprehensive cell-to-module architecture that is designed to maximize energy efficiency while reducing costs, as well as its efforts in creating the technology solutions needed to shift renewable energy from ‘alternative’ to mainstream adoption.

Rescheduled Senate Joint Memorial 33 Hearing

2009-03-04T06:45:00.000-05:00

I just received an email from Matthew Ellis saying that due to a lengthy session on the floor on Tuesday, 3 March, the day's scheduled Senate Conservation Committee was canceled. Senate Joint Memorial 33 has been rescheduled to be heard by the Senate Conservation Committee on Thursday 5 March, 8AM in room 311 at the New Mexico State Capitol (the Roundhouse) in Santa Fe.

SJM 33 unamimously passed NM Senate Rules Committee, (8 to 0), on Wednesday 25 Feb.

SJM33 recognizes New Mexico's indispensable role in national energy strategy for national reconstruction and recovery.

I wish I was in Santa Fe to attend this meeting. Please pass on this information.

HOUSE BILL HB-572 Hearing Today

2009-02-26T13:27:00.000-05:00

Today, Thursday, February 26, 2009 at 1:30 PM there will be a hearing on New Mexico State House Bill HB-572. It will be in Room 309 of the Roundhouse, Santa Fe

The House agenda opens at 1:30. Supporters should be prepared for it to possibly go first. Rep. Brian Egolf will present the bill, and after this time the Chair will take public commentary in support or opposition to the bill.

There was a very impressive showing in favor for this bill last Sunday. It will be in front of the Committee again today, so despite this short notice, if you can please add your support!

This bill has power to really move the solar market in a short period of time, so it is of primary interest to solar industry supporters this session.

The most effective way to approach the Committee is to speak in terms of jobs, jobs, jobs, not only for integrators, but also for products manufactured and distributed from New Mexico.

House bill aims to seize on solar-loan success

2009-02-25T15:38:00.000-05:00

In November, when the city of Berkeley, Calif., posted an online notice of long-term, no-money-down loans to help homeowners buy solar photovoltaic systems, Aaron Mann lost no time applying.

All 40 slots in the pilot program were scooped up in 9 minutes.

Berkeley became the first city in the nation to offer a program where homeowners could get loans for solar-energy systems and repay the loans through their property taxes.

Mann's photovoltaic system was up and running by early February. "The fact that there was no payment out of pocket was really helpful," said Mann, from the Berkeley office of his social-network analysis business. "I was completely surprised at how well it went, since this was a pilot program."

New Mexico's Legislature is considering a similar measure sponsored by Rep. Brian Egolf, D-Santa Fe, but the bill hasn't had its first committee hearing. House Bill 572 would allow counties to create solar-energy districts, where homeowners can opt into the district, find a lender and solar-energy installer and have the loan repayment tacked on to their annual property-tax bill. The loans would be good for systems that generate electricity, hot water or hot air from the sun.

Doña Ana County commissioners approved a measure in December asking the Legislature to back similar solar districts, according to the Las Cruces Sun News.

Former Berkeley city staffer Cisco DeVries devised the solar loan program through his Oakland-based Renewable Funding. The city hired Renewable Funding to finance and administer the program. The city approved a special tax district in September and issued bonds. Renewable Funding bought the bonds and made $1.5 million available for the pilot program in November; the money will be paid back through property taxes collected by the city, and the county will earn an additional loan fee to process the property-tax assessment.

"This program has been designed to finance itself," DeVries said.

In the Berkeley program, the estimated payback will be $182 a month in property taxes to pay for a $28,000 solar photovoltaic system over a 20-year loan. That will vary depending on the interest rate and cost of a system, DeVries said.

The Berkeley program, and Egolf's similar proposal for New Mexico, remove the biggest roadblock for most homeowners who want to install solar-energy systems — the upfront cash to install them.

Mann said all he and his wife had to do was show they didn't owe back property taxes and owned the title to their house. Since the loan is tied to the property, not the property owner, the solar loan is included if the home is sold.

The 4.6-kilowatt photovoltaic system should cover 90 percent of his energy needs, Mann said.

California offers a 20 percent rebate on installation costs for solar photovoltaics. The federal government will allow up to a 30 percent tax credit after that. "In effect here, homeowners only pay half the cost of installation," DeVries said.

In New Mexico, homeowners also receive state and federal tax credits.

The tax credits are great, but still leave homeowners searching for upfront cash for solar photovoltaics. The solar-loan program resolves that issue. "We have a market failure with how solar energy is financed in this country," DeVries said. "We can save the planet, make energy and make money."

Palm Springs, Calif., became the second city to adopt the solar-loan program. DeVries said he's working with legislatures in a dozen states on similar measures. "The idea is really taking hold. But it is new," DeVries said. "It makes changes to the way that we think of our homes. It takes some innovative thinking on the part of government at a time when government is strapped."

DeVries said the Berkeley pilot program can serve as a roadmap for other counties, cities and states.

NM State Senate Joint Memo 33

2009-02-25T09:25:00.001-05:00

SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 33

Sponsored by Senator Carlos Cisneros (D) District 6

Co-sponsored by Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino (D) District 12

RECOGNIZES NEW MEXICO’S INDISPENSABLE ROLE IN NATIONAL ENERGY STRATEGY FOR NATIONAL ECONOMIC RECONSTRUCTION AND RECOVERY

Your prompt and direct action is needed! Please review the attached copy of Senate Joint Memorial 33 and contact your NM State Senators and Representatives to voice your support.

This Memorial;

· Identifies New Mexico’s strong comparative advantages in resources and science & technology facilities and expertise to lead a national economic recovery effort by focusing on the primary energy sources in the renewable energy sector (solar-thermal and geo-thermal).

· Instructs the NM National Congressional delegation to ask for $21 billion in federal economic recovery money, for additional funding for both national laboratories (Sandia & Los Alamos) and for the craeation of a National Renewable Energy Administration (to be formed with a mandate along the lines and logic of NASA) headquarters and research facilities - to be located in Santa Fe.

· Requests that New Mexico aggresively and competitively seek to attract established maufacturer(s) of small, fuel-efficient, and electric cars, which would in turn bolster and validate funding for next-generation energy storage and distribution research at our two national laboratories.

The memorial has been intoduced and is expected to move into Senate Rules Committee this week of February 23, 2009.

Please contact members of the Senate Rules committee and ask them to expedite and support the hearing of this important Senate Joint Memorial. They are as follows:

SENATE RULES COMMITTEE

Senator Linda M. Lopez (D) Chair 986-4737

Senator Peter Wirth (D) Vice Chair 986-4276 peter.wirth@nmlegis.gov

Senator Dianna Duran (R) Member 986-4701 dianna.duran@nmlegis.gov

Senator Stuart Ingle (R) Member 986-4482 dede.feldman@nmlegis.gov

Senator Timothy Jennings (D) Member 986-4702 stuart.ingle@nmlegis.gov

Senator Kent L Cravens (R) Ranking Member 986-4391 klcravens@alphagraphics.com

Additionally, please contact your district’s State Senator and Representaive and let him or her know that you want their support in passing this Joint Memorial.

FIND CONTACT INFORMATION AND THE STATUS OF THE BILL AT: www.nmlegis.gov

“The children and progeny of New Mexico, our nation, and the world will appreciate that you foresaw the reality that energy security IS national security. The size and breadth of the economic and energy crisis we are experiencing requires a solution that is calibrated at a minimally required equivalent scale. We must not be afraid to think or act big, nor should we have any trepidation in asking our elected public servants to do the same. Truly, time is of the eseence, we cannot vacilate or hesitate”. - Miro Kovacevich & Matthew Ellis

Feel free to circulate this letter.

For more information please contact;

Matthew Ellis

Vivilux

505.577.3902

matthew@vivilux.net

ViviLux is a Santa Fe and Washington, DC based public advocacy organization specializing in energy equity, ecological economics, policy, and research.