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    Community Solar

    What is Community Solar?

    The COMMUNITY SOLAR ACT OF 2021 was signed into law by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham on April 5, 2021, and it creates a statewide 3-year community solar "pilot program", where up to 200 MW of energy can be sold through subscriptions to certain customers from localized 5MW solar facilities built within PNM service territories.

    PNM fully supports New Mexico's Community Solar Act and is excited to implement this program when it becomes available in April 2022. This Act will allow residential, small businesses, nonprofit, governmental, tribe and pueblo, and certain educational customers the ability to purchase energy through a subscription from a Community Solar Facility. This facility must be authorized to operate and transact business in New Mexico through established rules created and enforced by the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (NMPRC).

     

    Who Can Subscribe

     Residential 

     Nonprofits 

      Native American Communities 

     Small Business

     Religious Organizations

     Municipality or County 

    Public or Charter School*

    *Section 22-2-3 NMSA 1978, Section 21-12-2 NMSA 1978

    How it Works 

     

    Community Solar Facilities Selected for PNM Customers

    The following is a list of Community Solar facilities that will be available for subscription. 

    *Please note facilities are not operating yet.  Contact the subscriber organization if you wish to sign up. Once you've signed up with a subscriber organization,  please fill out the Community Solar Consent form and email it to Community.Solar@pnmresources.com

     Project Size (MWac)  Project Name  Project Location Subscriber Organization Contact Phone Contact Email
    3.5 SLT Otero Alamogordo NM 88330 Pluma LLC (505) 345-0755 Chris@plucys.com
    3.75 SLT Hidalgo Lordsburg NM 88045 Pluma LLC (505) 345-0755 Chris@plucys.com
    5 SLT Grant Silver City NM 88061 Pluma LLC (505) 345-0755 Chris@plucys.com
    5 Reynolds Tularosa NM 88352 Pluma LLC (505) 345-0755 Chris@plucys.com
    5 Pino Las Vegas NM 87701 Pluma LLC (505) 345-0755 Chris@plucys.com
    5 Trigo Sol Community Solar Garden NA Rio Communities NM 87002 CSolPower LLC (505) 908-4234 csolpower@mysunshare.com
    5 The Homewise Community Solar Project  (State Land 2) Rainbow Blvd., NW Albuquerque NM 87111 Affordable Solar Group, LLC (505) 944-4220 dylan.connelly@affordable-solar.com
    5 The Global Give a Book Community Solar Project (State Land 1) Manzano Expy Los Lunas NM 87031 Affordable Solar Group, LLC (505) 944-4220 dylan.connelly@affordable-solar.com
    5 Gonzo Sol Community Solar Garden NA Clayton NM 88415 CSolPower LLC (505) 908-4234 csolpower@mysunshare.com
    5 Atari Solar Alamogordo NM 88310 Atari Solar, LLC (410) 440-3597 Hillel@synergensolar.com
    3.885 USS Meadow Lake Solar LLC Meadow Lake Rd Los Lunas NM 87031 Los Ebanistas, Inc. (505) 455-8875 mark@sollunasolar.com
    2.25 Neudecker Silver City NM 88022 PPC New Energy LLC (443) 267-5012 PPCNewEnergyLLC@newenergyequity.com
    5 The Locker 505 Community Solar Project (Site 2) Southern Boulevard Rio Ranco NM 87124 Affordable Solar Group, LLC (505) 944-4220 dylan.connelly@affordable-solar.com
    5 The Cuidando Los Niños Community Solar Project  (Site 8) Viento Road Belen NM 87002 Affordable Solar Group, LLC (505) 944-4220 dylan.connelly@affordable-solar.com
    3.6 Gorman (Otero) Los Lunas NM 87031 PPC New Energy LLC (443) 267-5012 PPCNewEnergyLLC@newenergyequity.com
    5 The Central New Mexico Community College Community Solar Project (Site 4) Blue Lake Road Belen NM 87002 Affordable Solar Group, LLC (505) 944-4220 dylan.connelly@affordable-solar.com
    5 Rockhound Sol Community Solar Garden NA Deming South CCD NM 88030 CSolPower LLC (505) 908-4234 csolpower@mysunshare.com
    5 Rancho Verano Sol Community Solar Garden 100 Rancho Verano Rd Santa Fe NM 87508 CSolPower LLC (505) 908-4234 csolpower@mysunshare.com
    5 Raven Sol Community Solar Garden NA Lordsburg NM 88045 CSolPower LLC (505) 908-4234 csolpower@mysunshare.com
    1.665 USS Fletcher Solar LLC Fletcher Rd Lordsburg NM 88045 Los Ebanistas, Inc. (505) 455-8875 mark@sollunasolar.com
    4.255 USS Gold Solar LLC W Ash St Deming NM 88030 Los Ebanistas, Inc. (505) 455-8875 mark@sollunasolar.com
    4.995 USS Florida Mountains Solar LLC Hondale Rd SW Deming NM 88030 Los Ebanistas, Inc. (505) 455-8875 mark@sollunasolar.com
    3.33 USS Hermanas Solar LLC O Kelley RD SE Deming NM 88030 Los Ebanistas, Inc. (505) 455-8875 mark@sollunasolar.com
    2.875 Tularosa 1 Tularosa NM 88352 SVOE, LLC (262) 547-1200 gcurtin@sunvest.com
    4.5 Tularosa 3 Tularosa NM 88352 SVOE, LLC (262) 547-1200 gcurtin@sunvest.com
    2.75 Tularosa 4 Tularosa NM 88352 SVOE, LLC (262) 547-1200 gcurtin@sunvest.com
    4.75 Tularosa 2 Tularosa NM 88352 SVOE, LLC (262) 547-1200 gcurtin@sunvest.com
    4 Los Lunas 1 Los Lunas NM 87031 SVOE, LLC (262) 547-1200 gcurtin@sunvest.com
    4.65 Bergmann  Deming NM 88030  PPC New Energy LLC (443) 267-5012 PPCNewEnergyLLC@newenergyequity.com

     

    Community Solar Information for Developers

    Community solar facilities can be owned by a qualifying utility, municipality, county, for-profit or nonprofit entity, organization, Indian nation, tribe, pueblo, or local tribal governance structure authorized to conduct business in New Mexico. Facilities must be in the PNM subscribers' localized service territory. To find out more detailed information, please visit pnm.com/communitysolar-details.

    Feedback

    We welcome your feedback and questions. If you'd like to learn more about The Community Solar Program, please email communitysolar@pnm.com. 

    Solar Interconnects

    To apply for rooftop solar, please visit the PNM Solar Interconnection web page

    Community Solar Notice 

    PNM Community Solar Public Notice 9-10-2021 PDF Document

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is Community Solar?

    Unlike solar panels which are installed on the customer's rooftop and are solely for the use of one household or customer, community solar is an offsite solar array that provides power to a wider community rather than on individual homes.  It allows multiple customers (residential, small business, nonprofit governmental, municipalities, and tribal) in the utility's service territory the option to buy a share of the electrical output of the community solar energy generating system.  Subscribers will receive solar benefits in their participation, primarily at a lower cost in the form of credits for energy produced by the community solar facility. 

    How do I participate in a community solar project?

    Customers may subscribe to a community solar project that is located in the same service territory as your electric utility.  Contact a Subscriber Organization nearby.  See the list of Subscriber Organizations and the location of community solar projects within the PNM service territory.

    What is a subscriber organization?

    A subscriber organization is a person or entity that owns or operates a community solar energy generating system.  We expect solar developers, a municipality, a county, a for-profit or nonprofit entity or organization, an Indian nation, tribe, pueblo, or a local tribal entity authorized to transact business in New Mexico to consider applying to participate in the community solar program as subscriber organizations.  Individual subscribers are customers who buy a share of the electricity generated by a community solar energy generating system and get a credit on the bill from PNM.

    How do subscriber organizations apply to participate?

    A subscriber organization must first be granted admission to the program by the program administrator, Inclime, and the Commission.  After selection for a community solar project and receiving an ID number, the subscriber organization must then apply to the utility serving the location of the project for solar interconnection.  The capacity of each project must not exceed 5 MW.  

    Inclime Program Administrator
    PNM Solar Interconnection

    How can low or moderate income customers benefit from the community solar pilot program?

    One requirement of the program is restricted for projects that must serve a significant percentage of low- and moderate-income customers.  30% of each project's capacity carve-out per project must be filled by low-income or related service organizations.  When you sign up for community solar, notify your subscriber organization that you are a low- or moderate-income customer and the subscriber organization will verify your eligibility.

    I am a renter.  Can I still take part in a community solar program?

    Yes.  Participating in the program does not require you to install solar panels on your residence.  You can subscribe to get your energy from a community solar project in your utility's service territory.

    How close to the solar panels to I need to live?  What happens if I move?

    You only need to live in the PNM service territory served by a community solar project.  If you move within that same service territory you can transfer your subscription to your new residence.  Subject to the terms and conditions of your contract, you may be able to transfer your subscription to another eligible customer.

    How do bill credits work for the community solar program?

    Bill credits will vary depending on your subscription contract (refer to your contract with your Subscriber Organization for specific terms and conditions).  You will get a bill credit based on the amount of electricity produced by your share of the project.

    How does the community solar subscription work?

    As a PNM customer, you can apply to a subscriber organization to buy a share of the electrical output of the community solar facility near you.  Customers will receive two bills when subscribed to Community Solar.  The PNM bill with both the total energy consumption and the bill credit applied for the amount of the community solar subscription.  The other bill will be the Subscriber Organizations' bill for their share of the solar facility output bill at the rate charged by the developer.