Right now, there are efforts to pass a tax on energy generated from renewable sources – specifically for that generated from wind energy. At such early stages of development, such a tax would be lethal to the recovery of our communities.

The Village of Los Lunas set up a Poly-gen Vertical Solar System, this system is a tower that stacks panels vertically around a pole, includes a small wind turbine at the top to produce back up energy when the sun isn’t shining, and back-up battery storage to supply electricity 24/7.

(Last month) was Hispanic Heritage Month. We began the month by honoring the anniversary of seven Latin American countries earning their independence and ending the month on Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

One wind project in development is the Oso Grande wind farm just southeast of Roswell. The wind farm will be capable of powering about 100,000 homes with clean, carbon-free energy at the completion of construction.

The Borderlands Wind Project is a 100 MW project that will be built in Catron County, close to the New Mexico-Arizona border and a way to generate energy and revenue for our communities and a means to purchase clean, reliable energy for Tucson Electric and help them meet their own goals and commitments.

Right now, renewable energy makes up less than 20 percent of our energy mix. As more projects like the Gladstone Wind Farm start coming online and that percentage creeps higher, we will find ourselves with the resources and endurance to soar towards the finish line of 100% clean and renewable energy.