Renewable Energy in New Mexico

• Mayor Martin Chavez of has issued policy statements and initiatives on sustainability, addressing safe water, clean air, alternative energy and fuels, urban forestation, alternative transportation, “green” building, recycling, and global warming.  The project is called “Albuquerque Green”, implemented through the Mayor’s new Office of Sustainability.  These practices and initiatives are described on the city’s sustainability website, http://www.cabq.gov/sustainability.  Downloads are available for citizens to learn what they can do as individuals to save energy.

• New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who also is a former U.S. Secretary of Energy, has been working vigorously to make this state a leader in renewable energy and clean air technology.  (See statements on energy policy priorities at http://www.governor.state.nm.us/press.php?id=305 .)

• Sandia National Laboratories has a Photovoltaic Systems Program for Research and Development (see http://photovoltaics.sandia.gov/ ).  

• Sandia National Laboratories is home to the National Solar Thermal Test Facility, which is the only test facility of its type in the In fact, Sandia National Laboratories and Stirling Energy Systems (SES) has set a new solar-to-grid sytem conversion efficiency record by achieving a 31.25% net efficiency rate, beating the old record set in 1984 of 29.4%.  This was accomplished on January 31, 2008, on SES’s “Serial #3” solar dish system at Sandia’s National Solar Thermal Test Facility.

• Sandia National Laboratories recently has joined a project with local Native American tribes to test a new solar electricity generating system that will be the power source for a water pump.  (For more information, see http://www.sandia.gov/media/NewsRel/NR2000/solar.htm.)

• The New Mexico has established a cooperative called the Center for Sustainable Natural Resources in the Southwest (CSNRS).  (For more information, see http://www.nm-trc.org/advancedtech.html#sustainable.)

• Sponsored by the New Mexico Department of Transportation is a new commuter rail line, the New Mexico Rail Runner Express (see http://www.nmrailrunner.com/ ).  It currently runs parallel to Interstate 25 from Belen to Bernalillo, a distance of about 50 miles, with extension to under construction.  Not only does it help the environment by encouraging public transportation, but it also runs on biodiesel fuel – E85.

• The district of Public Schools is converting several buildings to be partially solar powered.  The students are educated about the need for renewable energy.

• Numerous public buildings and parking lots owned by the City of are converting their lighting to LED’s and low energy lighting.

• One project encouraged by the state’s green-friendly policy is Mesa del Sol, a new business and residential community currently under development by Forest City Enterprises, Inc., with sustainability at the heart of its criteria.  It has designated 2,600 acres of land for renewable energy research and demonstration.*  (See http://www.mesadelsolnm.com .)

• Renewable energy sources are moving into .  Advent Solar (http://www.adventsolar.com/) already has committed to building and operating a 25 megawatt plant in Mesa del Sol for production of its photovoltaic (PV) solar cells and modules.  (See press releases: (1) http://www.abq.org/pdfs/Advent%20News%20Release.pdf, (2) http://www.governor.state.nm.us/press.php?id=138, (3) http://www.techventures.org/news/index.php?releaseID=045.

• Gratings, Inc. is a R&D firm specializing in microelectronics, including lightweight, ultra-thin photovoltaics (solar cells).  (See http://www.gratingsinc.com/ .)

• SCHOTT Solar, Inc., a subsidiary of SCHOTT AG, has announced it will construct a new solar energy technology production facility in The production site will manufacture receivers for concentrated solar thermal power plants (CSP) and 64MW of photovoltaic (PV) modules, initially in a 200,000 square-foot facility, with plans to expand to a 800,000 square-foot facility.  (See http://www.abq.org/pdfs/SchottPR.pdf .)

• Enerpulse Inc., a high tech company located in committed to reducing global warming, has developed a new technology that will replace spark plugs in vehicles – the pulse plug, which is much more efficient than spark plugs and leads to much greater fuel efficiency.  (See http://www.pulstarplug.com/ .)

• has several non-profit associations formed to promote the use of solar and sustainable energy, to educate the public about its benefits, and to be an advocate in its behalf to government institutions, such as:

  • New Mexico Solar Energy Association (http://www.nmsea.org/)

  • New Mexico Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy (http://www.cfcae.org/)

  • New Mexico Citizens for Clean Air and Water (http://members.aol.com/nmcit/ )

• The New Mexico Solar Energy Association sponsors an annual festival in called “Solar Fiesta”, which is a two-day fun event of educational forums, exhibits, and demonstrations, geared toward both adults and children, showing how solar energy can be implemented into every day life.  It also sponsors “ , held annually alongside the Taos Solar Music Fiesta.

• The City of has been a leader in commitment to sustainability, with a staff “Green Team” coordinating the City’s practices and promoting conservation education.  (See http://www.santafenm.gov/index.asp?nid=645 .)

• The State of has created a separate department dedicated to the promotion of renewable energy, the New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department (http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us).

• The Enchantment Clean Cities Coalition, originally funded by the U.S. DOE, now is taking on independent support.  It has coordinated and encouraged the use of biofuels, renewable energy, and vehicular innovation and efficiency throughout the state, making these resources both accessible and affordable to governmental departments, businesses, and individual citizens.  (See http://www.eere.energy.gov/state_energy_program/project_detail.cfm/sp_id=593 .)

• Our governor has declared his legislative agenda in the areas of clean energy and a clean environment, designed to invest in the tax incentives, biofuels and green buildings that will continue to make New Mexico the nation’s leader in protecting the environment. It includes a $23 million investment in energy efficiency and green buildings, a recurring investment ($9.6 million this year) for land, wildlife, and clean energy projects, and $3 million in tax incentives for biofuels, energy efficient appliances and renewable energy manufacturers.  (See http://www.governor.state.nm.us/press.php?id=305 .)

• Our governor has established a New Mexico Climate Change Advisory Group.  (See http://www.nmclimatechange.us/ .)

• Windforce, Inc. and Patriot Wind together have reached an agreement with the State Land Office to build a wind ranch in .  See articles: (1) http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/41834.html , (2) http://www.awea.org/windenergyweekly/wew1186.html#Article5.)

• PNM, the electric and gas utility of in October 2003.  It is the 7^th largest wind generation project in the .  With its commitment to wind energy, the American Wind Energy Association awarded PNM its 2003 Utility Leadership Award.

• PNM built a solar facility in 2006, which is a 25-kilowatt solar voltaic system.  See http://www.pnm.com/systems/algodones.htm .

• Sacred Power Corporation (http://www.sacredpowercorp.com/ ), located in Albuquerque at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, is a Native American owned/operated small business with a charter to provide renewable and distributive energy and telecommunications solutions.  Its core partners have over 40 years of renewable and distributive energy experience in all facets of the technologies. These include photovoltaics, both polycrystalline and thin-film, wind turbines, solar hot water systems, solar hot air systems, and other distributive energy systems such as Dish Stirling.

• Ecoversity (http://www.ecoversity.org/ ) is an educational campus in serving as a demonstration site and community building center for the promotion of sustainable living.

• The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (http://www.swenergy.org/ ) is an organization active in a six-state area, including New Mexico, which collaborates with utilities, state agencies, environmental groups, universities, and other energy efficiency specialists to promote energy conservation through state energy legislation, utility energy efficiency programs, building energy codes, analysis of energy efficiency potential, combined heating, cooling, and power systems, and home retrofit.  Funding is provided through organizations such as the Energy Foundation, Nevada Power Company, U.S. Department of Energy, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

• already has a public gas station with E85 available – an Ever-Ready Oil Company station located downtown at , Conoco and Horseman’s Haven/Phillips 66, both on There is no state tax on the purchase of hybrid automobiles.

• Tesla Motors (makers of the electric car, http://www.teslamotors.com/), has selected as the site of its new production plant.

• ZENN (Zero Emission No Noise) Neighborhood Electric Vehicles are sold at GreenWheels EcoMotors in (http://www.nnmsa.org/d_member_record.asp?mem=198 ).

• The Albuquerque Journal regularly features articles on solar and renewable energy.  The mood is right here to support a conference with this theme!