As part of the sunny Southwest, New Mexico is a prime location for solar generation. NRG Solar, a wholly owned subsidiary of NRG Energy, Inc. has announced it will begin taking advantage of the region’s sunny climate by breaking ground on the company’s first solar generation site in New Mexico.

“New Mexico has two important factors for solar,” said David Knox, spokesperson for NRG Energy. “First, the resources—there’s an enormous solar resource in the state and plenty of land. Secondly, the New Mexico government is working hard to bring solar to the state, and there’s a great regulatory practice there to promote solar.”

The Roadrunner Solar Electric Facility will be a 20-megawatt photovoltaic solar project located ten miles from El Paso, Texas. Power output from the facility has been purchased by El Paso Electric Co. under a 20-year power purchase agreement that will meet the demands of approximately 16,000 New Mexican households. Grid offsets will save 27,000 tons of carbon annually and equal the emissions saved by taking 4,800 cars off the road.

NRG Solar is anticipating investing over $21 million over the next three years into the project if the final negotiation of financing goes through as expected. The Roadrunner plant will be one of the first large-scale utility projects and the second largest photovoltaic facility in the state of New Mexico. Encompassing 210 acres in Santa Teresa, the entire facility will be built on privately owned land previously zoned for industrial use.

“I am pleased that NRG has chosen to expand its solar generation operations to New Mexico,” Governor Bill Richardson said in a press release. “My administration has worked closely with NRG, El Paso Electric and local governments to jumpstart this project which will not only create jobs and help us meet our clean energy goals, but furthers our efforts to become the Solar Valley of North America.”

First Solar Inc. will be procuring and installing the Roadrunner facility using thin-film photovoltaic solar modules and will be employing an estimated 240 construction workers during peak installation.

“The merits of solar power—zero-emission, sustainable, coincident with peak demand, compliant with state renewable portfolio standards—are clear,” said David Crane, President and CEO of NRG Energy. “New Mexico’s motto, Crescit Eundo, or “Grows as It Goes,” sums up how we hope to further our partnership with the state to bring more of solar power’s many benefits to its residents.”

Pictured: NRG's Ivanpah Solar Plant, courtesy of NRG Energy.