Regional electric utility firm El Paso Electric Power, The New Mexico State Land Office and First Solar Inc of Tempe, AZ, USA – which makes thin-film photovoltaic modules based on cadmium telluride (CdTe) as well as providing engineering, procurement & construction (EPC) services – have announced that construction has started on the Macho Springs Solar Project (which will be the state’s largest solar power plant), located on State Trust Land near Deming in Luna County.
“Benefits to the local and regional economy include millions of dollars in direct and indirect economic benefits, and about 300 temporary construction jobs, while at the same time earning money for our public schools, universities, special schools, and hospitals,” says New Mexico State Land Commissioner Ray Powell. Construction is expected to be completed by May 2014, and the active power plant will include three operational and maintenance jobs.
Under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) between El Paso Electric and First Solar, the 50MWac project will generate enough energy to power more than 18,000 average homes in the El Paso Electric service territory. The project will displace more than 40,000 metric tons of CO2 (equivalent to taking 7500 cars off the road) and will displace more than 340,000 metric tons of water consumption annually.
The project represents a system resource for El Paso Electric Company as the firm will purchase the entire output power from the Macho Springs solar power project to serve its New Mexico and Texas service territory. The project was secured by El Paso Electric through an all-source competitive Request for Proposal process conducted in 2011. It will operate on a commercial lease from the New Mexico State Land Office on about 500 acres of land at Macho Springs. First Solar also has an interconnection agreement with El Paso Electric.
