PREWITT, NM – On November 9 Origis Energy and Tri-State held an event in Prewitt to celebrate the halfway point in the construction of the Escalante Solar Project. The 11 cooperatives that are a part of Tri-State were present for the celebration and signed two commemorative solar panels.
The event included a presentation by members of Tri-State, Origis, and Gridworks. Some of the guests that were recognized at the presentation for their work with the solar project, State Representative Patty Lundstrom, Village of Milan Mayor Felix Gonzales, State Representative Harry Garcia, Cibola Communities Economic Development Foundation Executive Director Eileen Yarborough, and many representatives for various government officials. CEO of Origis Energy Guy Vanderhaegen said that he is proud that Origis Energy can be a part of the Escalante Solar Project and be involved in bringing 200 megawatts of power to the Tri-State area and local communities. The CEO of Tri-State Duane Highley also spoke about the project, he said that by 2025 they will be putting out 600 megawatts of power, and with that Tri-State will be a 50 percent clean energy provider to their members by 2025. The solar energy will be the lowest cost resource on the Tri-State system when it comes online. The tax revenue from the project will provide $7.1 million to McKinley County and $2.4 million to the McKinley County School District. Highley ended off by saying, “Of course we have great dreams of what could happen with repowering of the plant and there’s considerations of hydrogen production that could happen here in the future. It’s being actively explored.”
Following the presentation individuals were invited to take a small tour and see some of the solar panels up close and to learn more about the inner workings of the solar farm and how energy is produced. The project is said to be completed by March 31, 2024, but during the presentation it was also said to be early April 2024. The total area of the project is 1,700 acres which broken down is the size of 1,300 football fields. The total amount of solar panels in the area will be 500,000 which is enough to provide electricity to roughly 40,000 homes.
Editor’s Note, the following is a press release about the event.
Tri-State member cooperatives celebrate halfway point of construction for Escalante Solar
• Panel-signing event highlights progress in latest renewable energy project to serve rural cooperative members.
• Origis Energy has completed installation of approximately 250,000 solar panel modules, the halfway point for the 200-megawatt facility, to be completed in 2024.
• Escalante Solar is being built on the site of the former, 253-megawatt, coalfired Escalante Station, which was retired in 2020, as Tri-State continues to pursue its landmark Responsible Energy Plan.
• The project helps the local tax base, providing clean energy resources for Tri-State cooperative members in New Mexico.
(November 9, 2023 – Grants, N.M.) As Escalante Solar reaches its halfway point for the installation of approximately 500,000 solar panel modules at the former Escalante Station near Grants, N.M., member electric cooperatives of Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association joined representatives from Origis Energy and Tri-State, along with state and local leaders, to commemorate the construction milestone with a panel-signing ceremony at the plant.
Escalante Solar, when completed in 2024, will bring 200-megawatts of clean solar generation to Tri-State’s members, including 11 electric cooperative members in New Mexico, under a power purchase agreement with Origis Energy. The project was announced in 2020 as part of Tri-State’s landmark Responsible Energy Plan, and is located in Tri-State member Continental “Escalante Solar is meaningful to the New Mexico electric cooperatives that will greatly benefit from this project, while maintaining reliable and affordable power,” said Tri-State Chairman Tim Rabon, who also serves as a trustee of Otero County Electric Cooperative in Cloudcroft, N.M. “Tri-State continues to reinvest in our local communities and advance our memberships’ goals, with 50% of the energy used by our members generated from renewable resources in 2025.”
“When we announced details of our Responsible Energy Plan in January 2020, we set ambitious clean energy and emissions reductions goals, and detailed the many steps needed to assure we could continue to serve our members’ needs reliably and affordably,” said Tri-State CEO Duane Highley. “These steps included the addition of more renewable resources, including Escalante Solar, which help meet the 2030 renewable energy requirements of New Mexico’s Energy Transition Act five years early.”
“Origis is honored to contribute to the fulfillment of Tri-State’s Responsible Energy Plan with the Escalante Solar plant,” said Guy Vanderhaegen, Chief Executive Officer & President of Origis Energy. “It was a pleasure to gather with Tri-State, its members and community representatives today as we celebrated this important installation milestone for Escalante Solar. We thank all who are contributing to the fruition of this 200megawatt renewable energy facility in New Mexico.”
Gridworks, headquartered in Albuquerque, N.M., is providing construction services for the project, employing an estimated 400 people during that time. Origis Energy Services will provide long-term operations and maintenance services for the project, employing approximately 46 on-site jobs once the project is completed. The project will generate enough power to serve an estimated 40,000 homes.
With the addition of the solar project on the former coal-plant website, a new tax base will be created for the area from power generation, while providing a stable cost of power for Tri-State’s members. Additionally, the project negotiated an Industrial Revenue Bond with McKinley County, N.M., which documents the project will pay approximately $7,100,000 in taxes to the County and $2,400,000 in taxes to the School District over the life of the project.
For more information about the project, visit the project website.