For New Mexicans who rent, live in apartments, or simply do not want rooftop panels, access to solar power is getting easier.
State regulators say 16 community solar projects are now online, marking a major step toward making shared clean electricity available to more households and businesses without requiring them to install panels at home.
What happened?
According to Tri-City Record, the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission said Wednesday that 16 of the 47 community solar projects it has planned statewide are now up and running.
Those 16 operating projects produce roughly 71 megawatts today, and the first phase of the program is expected to reach 200 megawatts across the service areas of Public Service Company of New Mexico, Southwestern Public Service Company, and El Paso Electric.
Instead of depending on individual rooftop systems, community solar is built around larger arrays that many customers can subscribe to, which helps people who do not own their homes or lack roofs that work well for panels.
The operating sites are spread across the state, from Clovis in the east to Santa Fe in the north, with projects also online in places including Belen, Las Cruces, Rio Rancho, Roswell, Deming, and other communities.
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Belen is home to the Cuidando Los Niños Community Solar Project, whose CEO, Trina Jellison, said she was thrilled to see it start producing electricity. Although the project is located in Belen, PNM subscribers in Albuquerque can sign up, and some of its power is reserved for low-income residents.
Why does it matter?
One advantage of community solar is that it lets people use renewable energy without paying for or managing their own rooftop installation.
That setup can bring cleaner power to both renters and business owners, with subscription credits that may reduce utility bills.
It also helps reduce dependence on coal, oil, and gas, which can cut the pollution driving stronger storms and extreme heat while also lowering other harmful air pollution associated with power generation.
Lower air pollution can also benefit public health and household budgets, particularly in places where energy costs can put serious pressure on family finances.
Even as New Mexico adds more of these projects, residential solar support from the federal government has run into trouble. The Record reported that New Mexico has lost over $177 million in federal grants since President Donald Trump took office in early 2025, with roughly $156 million of that coming out of the EPA's Solar for All program.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez then joined a multistate court challenge over the cuts, which is still unresolved.
What can I do?
The PRC says csnewmexico.com includes instructions on how to enroll.
Regulators approved another 300 megawatts of community solar in 2024, but it hasn't been scheduled yet.
If that next phase moves forward, even more households and businesses could gain access to shared renewable energy. As Jellison put it, "Not everybody can afford to put solar on their house."
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