Across the country, we are seeing an increasing number of renewable energy projects allowing more and more people to tap into their many benefits in ways that were previously inaccessible. Community solar is an example of this.
Community solar is essentially a hybrid of utility and residential solar that allows residents, who would otherwise not be able to access cheaper, alternative energy, to opt into community energy production. These projects are typically small (about 10 MW or less) solar arrays in local communities, and the energy produced from these projects can be shared among residents, organizations, and the like in a given neighborhood. Residents buy or lease shares of the array, which then credits their electric bills. These arrays can be established by local utility companies and developers.
Over the last few years, there has been an increase in local legislation introduced to allow community solar here in New Mexico. The Community Solar Act was passed during this last 2021 legislative session and was written to ensure that low and moderate income residents could benefit from these upcoming projects. The process to create these projects is currently being developed by the Public Regulation Commission to ensure affordable solar is brought to local homes.
The great benefits of community solar include helping decrease the amount of base load power needed at certain times of the day and providing a cheaper, cleaner energy alternative for families. Community solar programs are also helping to move our state one step closer to meeting our renewable energy goals set by the Energy Transition Act.
As our energy demand continues to increase, we will need a healthy mixture of new wind, solar, and transmission projects to maintain a stable energy supply. This means we will need to have all available options up and running– from community solar to utility-scale renewable projects– all carried through updated transmission infrastructure. Together, our state can build a sustainable energy system that will benefit all people regardless of income and ultimately put New Mexico at the forefront of renewable energy grid systems.
Sources
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/so-what-exactly-is-community-solar
https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/community-solar-basics
https://www.currentargus.com/story/news/local/2021/04/06/community-solar-becomes-law-new-mexico-lujan-grisham-signs-bill/7095868002/
https://www.nrel.gov/grid/wwsis.html