During National Clean Energy Week, New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard executed a long-term lease for the first-ever community solar project to be constructed on state lands. Affordable Solar won the rights to the lease by submitting the highest and best bid at a public auction held at the State Land Office building in Santa Fe on Wednesday, September 11. The array developed by Affordable Solar on nearly 80 acres of state land in Valencia County is expected to generate about 5 megawatts of solar energy, enough to power approximately 1,000 homes. The project is anticipated to generate $2.7 million for New Mexico’s public schools over the lifetime of the lease.
The approval of this community solar project on state trust lands aims to provide affordable, clean energy directly to local residents who may not otherwise have access to renewable installations. It also supports the state's efforts to expand access to renewable energy following the passage of the Community Solar Act in 2021. The State Land Office plans to hold ten more community solar auctions in the coming months.
“This is a historic moment in New Mexico’s renewable energy journey. Community solar projects like these bring clean energy directly to the people at an affordable rate. It’s more proof that state lands can be utilized to help communities across New Mexico meet their needs. In a state radiating so much solar energy, everyone should be able to reap the economic and environmental benefits of switching to renewables,” said Commissioner Garcia Richard. “I’ve made it a goal of mine from day one to expand renewable energy on state lands, which has the dual benefit of meeting the climate crisis head-on by providing more sustainable energy sources while creating new, long-term revenue streams for New Mexico’s schools. I’m excited to say we will be pursuing many more community solar projects on state lands as we continue looking for ways to expand the state’s renewables footprint.”
Commissioner Garcia Richard established the first-ever Office of Renewable Energy within the Commercial Resources Division at the State Land Office with an aim of tripling renewable energy leasing and production on state trust lands. Since its inception, renewable energy production on state lands has increased more than six-fold. When Commissioner Garcia Richard assumed office, there were 400 megawatts of renewable energy under lease on state lands; after today’s auction, there are now approximately 2,510 megawatts of wind and solar energy under lease. Additionally, there are now 43 renewable energy leases at the State Land Office, up from 12 when Commissioner Garcia Richard took office in 2019.
Since overseeing the New Mexico State Land Office starting in 2019, Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard has led an agency that has earned more than $10 billion for New Mexico public schools, hospitals, and universities. Over 13 million acres of state trust land are leased for various uses including ranching and farming, renewable energy development, business development, mineral extraction, and outdoor recreation. The State Land Office operates with a dual mandate: using state trust land financially supports vital public institutions while protecting these lands for future generations.