Community Solar 

What is Community Solar?

Community solar programs promote participation in renewable energy solutions by allowing electric utility customers to purchase shares in a renewable energy facility to offset their monthly energy consumption, often via a credit on their monthly utility bills or by purchasing or leasing a portion of the solar panels in an array.

The community solar program in New Mexico is still under development. The Community Solar Act, or SB84, was signed into law in April 2021, by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.

A community-based solar project might benefit individuals, businesses, nonprofits and other groups, who would not otherwise have access to energy from solar installations.

Community solar allows for equal access to the economic and environmental benefits of solar energy generation regardless of the physical attributes or ownership of an individual’s home or business. 

Who Might Be Interested? 

Multi-unit Residents or Renters. You live in a multi-unit dwelling and/or you do not directly control the shared property or have roof space, or you are unable to make modifications to the home.

Those affected by other factors:

• Your roof would require significant investment before a PV system could be installed.
• Your home’s location is shaded or your roof is oriented in such a way that it cannot receive adequate solar rays for a PV system.
• Your home is on a circuit with high saturation of PV systems

Community Solar Terms

Community solar program allows for the development of community solar facilities and provides customers of a qualifying utility with the option of accessing solar energy produced by a community solar facility;

Community solar facility means a facility that generates electricity by means of a solar photovoltaic device; 

Subscribers to the facility receive a bill credit for the electricity generated in proportion to the subscriber’s share of the facility’s kilowatt-hour output;

Subscribing Organization owns or operates the solar facility.

Community Solar Act Rulemaking is underway and rules will be adopted on or before April 1, 2022. Please check the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission website for more information on docket number 21-00112-UT.