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Solar, Wind and Biogas Part of PNM Plan to Meet State’s Growing Requirement for Renewable Energy Albuquerque: PNM plans to use a combination of solar, wind, biogas and purchases of renewable energy credits to meet the 2010 state requirement for renewable energy. In a filing made yesterday with the N.M. Public Regulation Commission, PNM indicated those resources also will lay the groundwork for meeting a higher requirement in 2011. The 2010 requirement is that 6 percent of energy be generated from renewable resources. In 2011, it increases to 10 percent. To meet that 10 percent requirement, PNM states in its filing that it is working to secure agreements to construct about 70 megawatts of combined wind and solar generation facilities to come online in 2011 – renewable facilities capable of producing enough energy to power about 28,000 average sized New Mexico homes. The company also is proposing PNM-owned solar installations that would be sited on customers’ property, with lease payments to the customers. Supplemental filings later this fall will outline details of many of the new projects. One of the new proposed projects, which would use biogas in existing power-generation facilities, was announced earlier this year. The company would begin using biogas –fuel derived from the waste of livestock -- in its Luna Energy Facility in Deming if the proposal is approved. The project also is expected to provide benefits to the dairy and livestock industry in New Mexico. PNM President and Chief Executive Officer Pat Vincent-Collawn said a key emphasis for the plan is the balance between cleaner sources of energy and affordability. “While sun and wind are free resources, generation units that harness the sun and wind and convert it into electricity are significantly more expensive than plants that run on coal or gas,” Vincent-Collawn said. “We believe the mixture of resources we have proposed helps strike a balance to keep costs reasonable while still taking steps that will create a cleaner environment for generations to come. It’s an important step in securing long-term sources of clean, renewable energy for the 500,000 PNM customers in New Mexico.” The plan also includes existing PNM renewable resources that help the company meet its current requirement of 6 percent renewable energy. They include power from the New Mexico Wind Energy Center near House, N.M., and customer-owned solar facilities. As part of the filing, PNM has proposed to lower the renewable energy credit price on its large solar program – primarily used by businesses – to match the price on its small solar program, and to limit the size of the large installations to 250 kilowatts, compared with 1 megawatt currently. Both changes are proposed to be effective Jan. 1, 2010. The plan also proposes to transition the large program to a PNM-owned, customer-sited program in 2011 that would not require customers to make an up-front purchase of solar facilities. These changes would not affect agreements with current participants. The filing, which requires commission approval, is consistent with the PNM integrated resource plan developed last year through a public participation process. PNM is a subsidiary of PNM Resources, an energy holding company based in Albuquerque, N.M. PNM provides electric utility service to 497,000 customers in New Mexico. The company also sells power on the wholesale market in the West. PNM Resources stock is traded primarily on the NYSE under the symbol PNM. For more information, see the company's Web site at PNM.com.
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