Work could begin in the not very distant future on two solar farms that will belong to the utility company El Paso Electric and will operate in Dona Ana and Luna counties.
The farms are in addition to the one previously opened on some 140 acres near the town of Chaparral.
The projects are part of a larger effort on the company’s behalf to achieve 80% carbon-free power by the year 2035, an effort that also includes the launching of a separate solar farm in Santa Teresa which is expected to be operational by next summer.
And yet one more such project appears to be in the works in nearby Fabens.
The company has said that with the addition of the solar farms it will, notes the publication El Paso Matters, “increasingly have an excess of power available during the day.”
In trying to achieve its goal, which ultimately includes being 100% carbon-free by 2050, El Paso Electric has been turning to a mix of sources that also include batteries and gas-fired combustion turbines.
Late last month, it was announced that El Paso Electric had entered into a 20-year power purchase agreement with the company EDF Renewables North America of San Diego for the Dona Ana project.
Forecast to be fully operational in 2025, the Dona Ana farm is expected to produce around 470,000 megawatt hours of clean energy annually.
The Luna county project near the city of Deming is also expected to be up and running in 2025 and will upon completion generate enough energy to power 38,000 homes a year.
By Garry Boulard
