Programs & Services

Search EMNRD

Public Notices

  1. Home
  2. Public Notices

Public Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE FOR PERMIT ACTION

Preliminary Determination for Geothermal Facility Permit Modification 01-M2

for Lightning Dock Geothermal HI-01, LLC

 

Lightning Dock Geothermal HI-01, LLC, (LDG) 90 S 400 W Suite 410, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101 has applied to the Energy Conservation and Management Division (ECMD) of the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) for modifications to its geothermal resources’ development facility permit, 01-M1. The proposed modifications include the well design, deepening and proposed relocation of geothermal production well LDG 44-7, previously approved by ECMD on June 21, 2023. These modifications will improve LDG’s geothermal operations and productivity. Supporting documentation to the application include: LDG-44-7’s well design, drilling survey, and plat map.

LDG’s physical location is 18 Greenhouse Drive, Animas, NM., which is approximately nine (9) miles south of US Interstate 10 Exit 11, and approximately one (1) mile east of State Road 338. The facility is located in west-central Hidalgo County, at the southwestern corner of the State of New Mexico, also colloquially known as the New Mexico Bootheel.

The proposed surface location for production well LDG 44-7 is X = 32.14395732, Y = -108.84031721, with a subsurface target to X = 32.14033071, Y = -108.84415391, UTM NAD 83 Zone 12N, on LDG’s property, west of the main facility. The proposed well location is on LDG property, approximately 767 feet west of the nearest facility production well, LDG 45A-7. Anticipated drill depth of LDG 44-7 is 7,600 ft. TVD. LDG seeks to increase operation flow limits from < 3,000 gallons per minute (gpm) to < 5,000 gpm while maintaining the limits in pressure of 500 pounds per square inch gauge (psig) and temperature of 500 °F.

The ECMD has conducted a preliminary review of the information submitted in the permit application and based on the applicant’s information, the preliminary determination is that the production well will comply with the requirements of Title 19, New Mexico Administrative Code (NMAC), Chapter 11, Parts 1, 2 and 4; and the New Mexico Geothermal Resources Development Act, NMSA 1978, Section 71-9-1, et-seq. Therefore, the preliminary intent of ECMD is to issue a geothermal production well permit modification 01-M2, after further review which may include a site inspection, and barring any substantive comments or new information or a permit hearing. To ensure compliance with state and federal regulations, the permit will include conditions that impose minimum construction standards and conditions that require monitoring, record keeping and reporting to ECMD.

The permit materials are available for review at the ECMD office at 8801 Horizon Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87113. For assistance with viewing this application, the draft permit or supporting documentation contact Luis Aguirre at 505-629-6404 or by email at luis.aguirre@emnrd.nm.gov.

All interested persons have thirty (30) days from the date this notice is published to notify ECMD in writing of their interest in the permit action. The written comments should refer to the company name and Permit No. (or send a copy of this notice along with your comments). The written comments shall state the nature of the issues raised and how it relates to the requirements of applicable state and federal regulations. The written comments may be emailed to luis.aguirre@emnrd.nm.gov or mailed to Luis Aguirre, New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Dept., ECMD Geothermal Resources, 1220 S. St. Francis Drive, Santa Fe, NM 87505.

The applicant or permittee, affected or interested persons may file a request with ECMD for a permit hearing. The person requesting a permit hearing or an attorney representing that person shall sign the

hearing request. The hearing request shall be submitted in writing to ECMD and be postmarked or e-mailed by the close of the public comment period. The hearing request shall include:

  1. the requestor’s name;
  2. the requestor’s address, or the address of the requestor’s attorney, including an e-mail address and phone number if available;
  3. ECMD’s action that is disputed or a copy of the public notice referencing ECMD’s action;
  4. the name or general description of the property interest that ECMD’s action affects, if any;
  5. briefly, the general nature of the dispute with ECMD’s action or proposed action; and
  6. any other matter ECMD rules or a ECMD order requires.

 

This Public Notice regarding Lightning Dock Geothermal permit modification application was posted here on October 17, 2024. This Public Notice was also published in the Hidalgo Herald newspaper on October 18, 2024. The 30-day comment period began on October 18, 2024.

————————————————————————————

Public Notices

Request for Information to Leverage Federal Funding Programs for Clean Energy Projects in New Mexico 

Download PDF: Clean Energy Projects to Leverage Federal Financing Programs Request for Information FINAL 8.13.24

 

INTRODUCTION  

The Energy Conservation and Management Division of the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) is soliciting information from potential public- and private-sector partners on potential opportunities to support projects that advance state-level decarbonization and energy resilience goals, leveraging co-financing from EMNRD and the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) and/or other federal funding mechanisms. Alongside the Governor’s Office, a number of New Mexico state agencies are collaborating to identify candidate projects by ensuring that this RFI reaches a wide range of eligible stakeholders; EMNRD’s state government collaborators will include, but are not limited to, the New Mexico Finance Authority (NMFA), the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), and the Economic Development Department (EDD).  

This Request for Information (RFI) is for information-gathering purposes only and should not be construed as a solicitation or obligation on the part of EMNRD to provide funding. EMNRD is especially interested in projects that advance end use building technologies, low-emission affordable housing, clean energy and distributed energy resources, industrial-scale solar, wind, electric vehicle, battery, or other clean energy manufacturing and recycling facilities and/or supporting infrastructure, and grid improvement and management technologies. Moreover, EMNRD is interested in projects that reduce energy poverty and energy burden for New Mexico’s most underserved communities, especially on sites of key public infrastructure such as schools. 

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit initial feedback on potential uses for DOE LPO funds in the state of New Mexico, with EMNRD acting as a the SEFI to co-apply for these funds and a contributor of “meaningful support” to unlock the DOE’s investments. The LPO is the DOE’s internal development agency able to issue loans and loan guarantees to qualified borrowers. The LPO’s scale and scope were expanded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. Under the Title 17 State Energy Financing Institution (SEFI) loan authority, the LPO is authorized to waive its “innovative technology requirements” on lending if a SEFI provides what the LPO considers “meaningful” financial support to the project. This means that New Mexico must also invest in these projects. By leveraging federal funding from DOE LPO through becoming a SEFI, EMNRD can implement decarbonization projects that meet New Mexico’s decarbonization objectives while building our green economy. Wherever appropriate, EMNRD can also use LPO support in conjunction with other state and federal funding.  

In this RFI, EMNRD is examining a variety of possible uses for state and federal funding including: 

  • Concessional loans 
  • Bridge loan financing (Construction or other types) 
  • Loan loss guarantees 
  • Grants 
  • Tax credit incentives 
  • In-kind project development contributions such as the use of state land or facilities  

EMNRD, in examining all options for providing meaningful support, also asks applicants to provide input into the kinds of project financing arrangements they might prefer, as well as any existing monies possessed by the applicant to contribute toward project costs. 

Upon receiving EMNRD’s meaningful support, LPO can provide concessional loans and loan guarantees. However, the LPO application process generally requires a $100 million minimum transaction size per state application, which can be composed of a portfolio of aggregated projects if applicable. Therefore, EMNRD does not wish to discourage RFI responses for projects that are less than $100M, as multiple related projects can be bundled into a single application to meet the $100M threshold. EMNRD seeks responses from private industry, public entities (including but not limited to school districts, municipalities, counties, public power organizations, special districts), Tribes, and non-profit organizations to better understand the kinds of projects seeking state and federal funding across the state.  

PROJECT TYPES

EMNRD is seeking opportunities to partner with project developers to establish financing for projects that reduce carbon emissions and increase the resilience of our energy system. Per LPO’s rules, SEFI-supported projects must fall into one of 13 technology categories:i 

  1. Renewable energy systems 
  2. Advanced fossil energy technology 
  3. Hydrogen fuel cell technology 
  4. Advanced nuclear energy 
  5. Carbon capture and sequestration technologies 
  6. Efficient electrical generation, transmission, and distribution 
  7. Efficient end-use energy technologies 
  8. Production facilities for the manufacture of fuel-efficient vehicles or parts of those vehicles   
  9. Pollution control equipment 
  10. Oil refineries 
  11. Energy storage technologies 
  12. Industrial decarbonization technologies 
  13. Supply of critical minerals 

                          EMNRD is seeking to gauge private, public, and nonprofit interest in developing and operating emissions-reducing projects in a subset of these categories that align with statewide deployment targets. A “project” can mean any of the following: R&D, pilot, field-scale, or full-scale. Target projects include but are not limited to: 

                          • Electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure, such as grid-enhancing technologies 
                          • Transmission and distribution grid upgrades that allow for better integration of variable resources, smart transformers, reconductoring, and grid-enhancing technologies onto the existing grid 
                          • Interconnection equipment upgrades  
                          • Industrial decarbonization technologies 
                          • Renewable energy installation, including utility-scale and distributed-scale resources, and virtual power plants  
                          • Large-scale renewables that provide Free Electricity Economic Development Zones (FEEDZ) to promote energy equity for New Mexico’s disadvantaged communities and to promote a friendly business environment to enhance economic development  
                          • Tribal clean energy initiatives 
                          • Clean energy projects for rural and underserved communities 
                          • Advanced Geothermal  
                          • Recycling centers for batteries, solar panels, and/or wind turbines 
                          • Grid-scale energy storage such as iron air batteries, CO2 batteries, gravity energy storage systems, geothermal batteries, or other types of energy storage systems that have a storage capacity greater than four hours 
                          • Hydrogen fueling stations for heavy-duty trucking along major transportation corridors, such as I-40, I-25 and I-10 
                          • Pre-weatherization improvements for residences 
                          • Brine mining for critical minerals, such as lithium, from New Mexico’s produced and brackish water 
                          • Advanced manufacturing  
                          • Energy manufacturing facilities for wind turbines, solar panels, or other types of clean energy component manufacturing 
                          • Sustainable mining standards certification and pilot mine 
                          • Other clean energy projects that contribute to meeting New Mexico’s climate goals 

                          The list of possible projects above is informational only and is not exhaustive of the potential projects that may be funded.  

                          EMNRD is also monitoring a number of other federal funding opportunities for which competitive projects may be eligible and, as such, EMNRD seeks also to understand the landscape of non-LPO prospective projects existing within the state and Tribal nations. 

                          RESPONSE

                          The RFI is intended for anyone planning to invest in clean energy and seeking financing options, or with ideas for moving the state forward in deploying clean energy and expanding the clean energy economy at scale. This includes but is not limited to: 

                          • Businesses of all sizes 
                          • Economic development organizations 
                          • Local units of government and other community leaders 
                          • Community organizations 
                          • Financial institutions, including community development financial institutions 
                          • Energy infrastructure owners and developers 
                          • Public institutions, including but not limited to universities and colleges 
                          • Tribal nations  

                          The following is a list of considerations for RFI respondents. Respondents do not need to address every question. Respondents may provide detailed responses and examples.  

                          • The responding organization’s name, and a brief description of the organization’s business, mission, or governing mandate. 
                          • Description of potential projects you are interested in developing and securing financing for. 
                          • Identify the phase the proposed project is in, e.g., idea phase, feasibility study phase, development phase, or construction phase. Information about project viability should also elaborate on the type of technology proposed, including technological readiness (including manufacturing readiness level) and the overall technical feasibility of the proposed project. 
                          • The project lead and project team’s existing development experience, especially experience bringing similar projects to completion. 
                          • Project feasibility considerations, including whether the organization has secured rights to a proposed project development site(s). Respondents would benefit from providing detailed information about siting, permitting, and easements.  
                          • Public benefits of project development, including labor and emissions-reduction benefits. This could include a summary of community benefits and workforce development strategy. 
                          • Current financing prospects, and capital stack to date, if possible. Respondents might also consider listing previous funding they have received to increase project readiness or feasibility, as prior funding might make them more competitive. 
                          • A description of how EMNRD can assist with improving project viability and preferred investment mechanisms, and any impact that state and LPO financing could have on pricing decisions. 
                          • Status of existing project pipeline (if any) and project progress. 
                          • Domestic content outlook, including a description of your potential supply chain and subcontractors and your ability to engage in a domestic content attestation as required by federal law for projects securing federal support. 
                          • Relevant existing or pending contracts or applications with the State of New Mexico or other relevant entities. 
                          • Other technical assistance capabilities and/or needs. 

                          EMNRD will consider responses received by September 30, 2024. Responses received after this date may be considered later, pending program progress and needs. Written responses must be submitted via one of the following options: 

                          • Email: rebecca.stair@emnrd.nm.gov, as a PDF with the subject line “SEFI RFI response” 
                          • Regular United States mail to:  

                          Rebecca Stair 

                          Energy, Conversation and Management Division 

                          Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department 

                          Wendell Chino building 

                          1220 South St Francis 

                          Santa Fe, NM 87505 

                          All comments received, including attachments and other supporting materials, are part of the public record and subject to public disclosure. Respondents should submit information only that they wish to make publicly available and should not enclose any information considered confidential or inappropriate for public disclosure. 

                          Due to the volume of responses anticipated, it is not feasible for EMNRD to incorporate or respond to all input received. 

                          VIRTUAL MEETING

                          EMNRD will hold a virtual group meeting for individuals and organizations to participate in and share information related to this RFI. This meeting will be held virtually at the following time:  

                          • Virtual Meeting: Friday August 30th, 2024, 3:00 – 4:30 pm MST  

                          Please register for the meeting using the following link:  

                          https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/32a17120-7927-45b5-afef-036764c23173@04aa6bf4-d436-426f-bfa4-04b7a70e60ff 

                          Details for accessing the virtual meeting will be sent directly to those who register. 

                          Public Notices

                          PUBLIC NOTICE
                          REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
                          FOR PROVIDING FINANCIAL AND ENERGY COACHING SERVICES AND ASSISTANCE TO
                          NEW MEXICO ENERGY PROGRAMS
                          ISSUED BY THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO,
                          ENERGY, MINERALS AND NATURAL RESOURCES DEPARTMENT,
                          ENERGY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT DIVISION

                          The State of New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD), Energy Conservation and Management Division (ECMD), has issued a request for proposals (RFP) from green banks or similar entities that provide financing to accelerate the transition to clean energy to serve as a Financial Program Manager(s) (FPM or FPMs) to enable ECMD programs to advance the clean energy economy in New Mexico.

                          The RFP also solicits proposals for energy coaching services. These energy coaches will help New Mexico individuals, organizations and businesses (collectively “Customers”) navigate a dynamic energy landscape by guiding and connecting them to resources that fit their household or business needs to help save money and maximize energy savings.

                          ECMD may award multiple contracts for this RFP, including contracts for a single task or multiple contracts for the same task. Offerors may submit proposals to provide some or all services provided for in this RFP.

                          Successful Offerors may:

                          • Serve as the FPM for ECMD Programs advancing the clean energy economy in New Mexico;
                          • Support ECMD’s Solar for All Program, Home Efficiency Rebates and Home Electrification Appliance Rebates, New Mexico state tax incentives, Energy Service Company projects, the energy coach program, and other ECMD programs (collectively, “Programs”) by providing financing services, including making low-interest loans, primarily in underserved and low-income communities, to facilitate the adoption of technologies such as wind, solar, weatherization and geothermal energy, and other efficiency measures that are intended to reduce carbon emissions, reduce utility bills or promote climate resilience;
                          • Coordinate with the ECMD project teams to help efficiently and cost effectively deliver grants and debt-financing services to program participants;
                          • Serve as financing experts for ECMD’s Programs that lead to the successful development of large and small clean energy projects;
                          • Offer creative solutions for assisting Customers, including low-income households in single- or multi-family housing units, low-income communities, especially rural and Tribal communities, utilities, municipalities, and community-based organizations; and
                          • Provide creative solutions to minimize the debt incurred by Customers, especially low-income and disadvantaged households, participating in energy programs.

                          Additionally, successful Offeror(s) will be required to coordinate with other (non-ECMD) solar industry and community stakeholders as well as with ECMD program implementors because of the overlap of program end-beneficiaries. Successful Offeror(s) may also provide upfront capital to Program participants, to be reimbursed later by ECMD or its implementers, to expedite reimbursement for Program participants.

                          Potential Offerors may download a complete copy of the Request for Proposals from the ECMD website: https://www.emnrd.nm.gov/ecmd/about-us/requests-for-proposals-applications/.

                          Questions regarding this RFP shall be addressed to:

                          Jeremy Lewis
                          State of New Mexico,
                          Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department
                          Energy Conservation and Management Division
                          1220 South St. Francis Drive
                          Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505
                          Jeremy.Lewis@emnrd.nm.gov
                          Telephone: (505) 476-3457

                          ECMD will conduct a non-mandatory pre-proposal webinar conference for potential Offerors at 3:00 pm Mountain Time on October 7, 2024, to provide Offerors an opportunity to be briefed on this procurement and to ask questions about the procurement process. Please contact the ECMD Contact Person listed above to request a meeting invitation.

                          Offerors shall submit proposals bearing digital signatures in PDF format to Jeremy Lewis via e-mail at Jeremy.Lewis@emnrd.nm.gov no later than October 30, 2024, at 3:00 pm Mountain Time. ECMD shall not accept proposals received after this date and shall make absolutely no exceptions for proposals not received by the appointed time.

                          Public Notices

                          PUBLIC NOTICE
                          REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS
                          FOR PLANNING AND SCOPING POWER PROJECTS
                          ISSUED BY THE
                          STATE OF NEW MEXICO,
                          ENERGY, MINERALS AND NATURAL RESOURCES DEPARTMENT,
                          ENERGY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT DIVISION

                          The State of New Mexico, Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) Energy Conservation and Management Division (ECMD) is requesting applications to conduct planning and scoping activities under the federally funded Preventing Outages While Enhancing Resilience (POWER) grant program. Selected Subrecipients will enter into agreements with EMNRD to complete the proposed scope of work. The POWER program is funded through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and was established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), section 40101(d), Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grant.  EMNRD anticipates making multiple project awards from this RFA. Grant sizes will be dependent upon the number of applicants, funding requests, and competitiveness of applications received.

                          The POWER program, is particularly focused on mitigating impacts to the electric grid from natural hazard threats, including those exacerbated by climate change. In conjunction with this focus EMNRD established objectives for the POWER Program that include reducing the number and duration of outages, building resilience in the context of the energy transition, and strengthening community resilience to natural hazards. Potentially successful proposals for the POWER Program will aim to create high-level planning and scoping documents to enhance the understanding of energy infrastructure and help guide future projects to harden the grid and increase resilience. Selected Subrecipients under this RFA for planning and scoping projects may or may not be prepared to apply for additional funding to proceed with implementing infrastructure-hardening projects under the POWER program.

                          Eligible entities include electric grid operators and electric grid distribution providers.

                          Applicants may obtain a complete copy of the RFA from:

                          Chadette Pfaff
                          EMNRD, ECMD
                          1220 South St. Francis Drive
                          Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505
                          Chadette.pfaff@emnrd.nm.gov
                          (505) 469-6970

                          Applicants shall submit one application to the contact email listed above on or before November 29, 2024. ECMD will begin reviewing proposals after November 29, 2024. Selected Subrecipients must complete projects by June 30, 2025. ECMD may award multiple agreements under this RFA. To be considered for funding, applications must be complete and must demonstrate that the project will meet all criteria.