Several parties are working to improve New Mexico interconnection standards. The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission is drafting a new rule (NMPRC Rule 572) to set new standards for facilities that would only serve their own loads but would require back up or supplemental power from the grid. Also, the Southwest Energy Institute has drafted a bill to be considered in the state legislature to base interconnection standards solely on national standards, thereby limiting a utility's right to impose its own (discretionary) standards.

The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission adopted a rule in 1999 (1717 NMAC 10571) to simplify interconnection requirements for Qualifying Facilities up to 10 kW. PNM, the state's largest investor-owned utility, is working to simplify the net-metering application to two pages. We are unaware of other efforts to develop simplified interconnection agreements for wind energy facilities in New Mexico. This means that wind system owners are likely to be subject to a utility's existing interconnection requirements for "qualifying facilities" under the federal PURPA law.

New Mexico System Benefit Fund
As part of New Mexico's "Electric Utility Industry Restructuring Act of 1999," the state legislature created the Electric Industry System Benefits Fund (SBF) for renewable energy, customer education, and low-income assistance. The fund will be created through a charge collected through all electric utilities beginning January 1, 2007, of 0.03¢/kWh, which doubles in 2012. The funds will support renewable energy up to $4 million to be used by school districts, cities, towns, villages, or counties. Renewable technologies to be supported include solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, landfill gas, and hydropower.

For more information about the NM SBF, contact:

New Mexico Environment Department
1190 St. Francis Drive
Harold Runnels Building
Santa Fe, NM 87503
Phone (505) 827-1732
Fax (505) 827-0310
Melinda Hall, Melinda_Hall@nmenv.state.nm.us 
Web: www.nmenv.state.nm.us

Renewables Portfolio Standard and Green Power Tariffs
As part of New Mexico's electric utility restructuring act of 1999, the state legislature also required the Public Regulation Commission (PRC) to examine a renewable portfolio standard for the state. In May 2000, the PRC issued an order (Rule 591.10D) calling for retail electric suppliers to meet 5% of their standard offer service with in-state renewables (wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, hydropower and fuel cells), with compliance waived if the RPS would result in the cost of electricity increasing more than 0.1¢ per/kWh. However, implementation of the rule has been for 5 years with the recent passage of Senate Bill 266, which delays the restructuring of the electric industry in New Mexico until 2006. The Land and Water Fund of the Rockies (LAW) has estimated that the RPS could lead to 60 to 120 MW of new renewable energy in the state. In the same order, the PRC required utilities to offer an optional green power tariff for standard offer customers who are willing to pay more for renewable energy. 

For more info about the NM RPS and green power tariffs, contact:

Energy Technology Programs Bureau
New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department 1220 S. St. Francis Drive, P.O. Box 6429 Santa Fe, NM 87504
Phone (505) 476-3318
Fax (505) 476-3322
Harold Trujillo, P.E., Bureau Chief
Email hjtrujillo@state.nm.us
Web www.emnrd.state.nm.us/ecmd/

Additional information can be found at AWEA's inventory of state incentives for wind

Southwestern Public Service Company is building on the popular Windsource program developed by the Public Service Company of Colorado. A wind turbine located between Clovis, New Mexico, and Farwell, Texas, just south of U.S. Highway 60, will supply enough power for about 150 average homes. SPS New Mexico customers interested in wind power can sign up for 100 kilowatt-hour blocks for an additional $3 per block. To sign up for Windsource or for more information, call 1-800-894-3368.

The New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department funded Brower & Co., Inc. to produce a wind resource map of the state which depicts yearly electricity production estimates over a square meter of rotor swept area for a small wind turbine at 24 meters (80 feet) above ground level. The older U.S. Department of Energy map for New Mexico can be found here. You may also find the definitions of Wind Power Classes for the maps helpful. There is additional information in the Wind Energy Atlas of the United States, where you can review maps for other locations in the US or get more information about how the maps were created. 

The NM Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department has also collected wind resource data for New Mexico.

You may also find useful information at the web site for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). This site contains extensive information about wind resources in the United States.

Printed copies of the U.S. Department of Energy's 23-page Small Wind Electric Systems New Mexico Consumer's Guide (PDF file), which includes a color version of the updated state wind resource map, are available upon request from the Energy Conservation and Management Division of the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department.

The American Wind Energy Association provides a list of wind turbine manufacturers

For a list of wind turbine installers in your area, please contact the manufacturer

For information on zoning regulations and required permits, contact:

NM Association of Counties
1215 Paseo de Peralta
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Phone (505) 983-2101 or (800) 333-6438Fax (505) 983-4396
Lester Nixon or Frank Rendon
Email lesternixon@nmcounties.org  or frendon@nmcounties.org 
Web www.nmcounties.org

NM Municipal League
1227 Paseo de Peralta
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Phone (505) 982-5573Fax (505) 984-1392
Roger Makin
Email rmakin@nmml.org
Web www.nmml.org

We suggest that you contact your local utility and request information on their interconnection policies. The New Mexico PRC maintains a list of regulated utilities.

New Mexico Rural Electric Cooperatives Association
614 Don Gaspar Ave.
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Phone (505) 982-4671 or (800) 281-4671Fax (505) 982-0153
Keven J. Groenewold
Email kgroenewold@nmco-ops.org
Web www.nmco-ops.org/members.html 

The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission is responsible for regulations relating to the electric utility industry, and has issued an inquiry into renewable energy as a source of electricity.

New Mexico Public Regulation Commission
Utility Division
Marian Hall, 224 East Palace Avenue
Santa Fe, NM 87501-2013
Phone (505) 827-6960
John Curl
Email john.curl@state.nm.us
Web www.nmprc.state.nm.us

Office of Attorney General Consumer Protection Division
P.O. Drawer 1508
Santa Fe, NM 87504-1508
Phone (505) 827-6010
Fax (505) 827-4098
Carol Baca
E-Mail cabaca@ago.state.nm.us
Web www.ago.state.nm.us

State Energy Office
New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department
Energy Conservation and Management Division 
1220 South Saint Francis Drive
Santa Fe, NM 87505
Phone (505) 476-3319
Michael McDiarmid, PE, Wind Power Program Manager
Email mmcdiarmid@state.nm.us
Web www.emnrd.state.nm.us/ecmd

New Mexico Environment Department
1190 St. Francis Drive
Harold Runnels Building, Room North 4050
Santa Fe, NM 87505 
Phone (505) 827-2855
Fax (505) 827-2836
Mr. Peter Maggiore, Secretary
Email Peter_Maggiore@nmenv.state.nm.us
Web www.nmenv.state.nm.us

The US Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network maintains a list of state contacts.

The NM Sustainable Energy Collaborative is a recently formed, diverse group including participants from small businesses, utilities, government, the national laboratories, trade organizations, educational institutions, and environmental and public interest groups. It was forged from the common interest of these organizations to provide an inclusive, cooperative approach to addressing barriers impeding the increased market penetration of clean energy technologies in New Mexico. By consensus, the Collaborative is chaired by the Energy Conservation and Management Division of the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department.

New Mexico Sustainable Energy Collaborative
c/o Energy Conservation and Management Division
P.O. Box 6429, 1220 St Francis Drive
Santa Fe, NM 87504-6429
Phone (505) 476-3312
Fax (505) 476-3322
Chris Wentz, Coordinator
Email cwentz@state.nm.us
Web http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/ecmd/

New Mexico Solar Energy Association
P.O. Box 8507Santa Fe, NM 87504
Phone (888) 88-NMSOL
Email info@nmsea.org
Web www.nmsea.org

Southwest Energy Institute
551 West Cordova Rd. Suite 119
Santa Fe, NM 87501-4100
Phone (505) 820-2312
Fax (505) 820-1986
Mark Sardella, P.E., Director of Research
Email info@southwestenergy.org
Web www.southwestenergy.org 

The US Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network maintains a list of state contacts.

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