AES’ Rancho Viejo Solar project is a proposed solar facility in Santa Fe County that will incorporate the most advanced solar energy and battery energy storage technologies and is carefully designed to minimize impact on the rural landscapes in the area. Rancho Viejo Solar directly supports New Mexico’s clean energy goal of 50% renewable by 2030, and 100% renewable by 2045.
Project overview
96 MW Solar + 48 MW battery energy storage
Enough clean energy to power 37,000 New Mexico homes annually
To be developed on 680 acres of privately owned, fenced land
Located off South NM HWY 14
Provides clean energy to PNM customers
35-year project life span with AES as long-term owner and operator
Safety first: laboratory test video
UL 9540A laboratory test video demonstrates how new BESS safety features for the Rancho Viejo project quickly and completely extinguish a fire in a battery cell, preventing thermal runaway and spread of fire to other battery cells in the enclosure.
Project updates
Upcoming meetings
- Planning Commission, February 3, 2025, 1:30 pm Location - Santa Fe Community Convention Center, 201 W. Marcy St, Santa Fe, NM
- Public Hearing with SLDC Hearing Officer, December 4, 2024, 9:30 am Location: Santa Fe Community Convention Center, 201 W. Marcy St, Santa Fe, NM
Rancho Viejo Solar Pre-Application Neighborhood Meeting
AES is hosted a pre-application neighborhood meeting to share the latest information about the project, answer questions and receive feedback.
Details
Thursday, August 22, 2024
5:00 PM-7:00 PM
Santa Fe Community College
Jemez Rooms
6401 Richards Ave.
Santa Fe, NM 87508
Review the meeting presentation
Conditional use permit
AES first submitted a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) application for the Rancho Viejo Solar project to the Santa Fe County Planning Department on January 26, 2023. In response to feedback from project neighbors and stakeholders, as well as the County, AES has updated its project design and site plan and submitted a revised CUP application for the project to the county in August 2024.
To view AES updated Conditional Use Permit application and materials on file with Santa Fe County, click here: 2024 New AES PROJECT APPLICATIONS | Santa Fe County.
The AES team has worked closely with the Santa Fe community over the past two years. We’ve listened to the questions, concerns and suggestions from project neighbors, community stakeholders and the county. As a result, we’ve made changes to our project plan to ensure that AES’ Rancho Viejo Solar project reflects our commitment to being a good neighbor while delivering a safe and beneficial clean energy project to the community.
The Rancho Viejo site design has been updated so that the project is no longer located directly north of the San Marcos neighborhood. This design change preserves the most unobstructed viewshed possible to the north for neighboring residents of Rancho San Marcos. The battery energy storage system (BESS) will be located in the remote northeast corner of the site, approximately 1.5 miles from the nearest residence. Updated visual simulations are available below on this page. We’ve also incorporated feedback and suggestions from the local fire department into our site design and safety planning, including a full perimeter access road which doubles as a fire break, full-time personnel with an on-site O&M building, and a 30,000-gallon water tank for event containment support.
Neighborhood meetings
To apply for a Conditional Use Permit, Santa Fe County requires project applicants to host a pre-application neighborhood meeting. Most recently, AES hosted a Pre-application Neighborhood Meeting on Aug. 22, 2024, to review the updated CUP application and provide neighbors and local communities with the latest information on the Rancho Viejo project.
Over the last two years, AES has also hosted two in-person and one virtual meeting, giving notice to adjacent property owners via US Mail, email notification and published a half-page advertisement in the Santa Fe New Mexican, inviting the public to attend. Neighborhood meetings took place at the Turquoise Trail Charter School on August 3 and October 4, 2022. AES also hosted a virtual meeting on January 4, 2023. A video of the most recent pre-application neighborhood meeting, along with AES’ presentation about the updated project plan, can be viewed in the Project Updates section above.
Project details
Rancho Viejo solar
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96 MWac solar facility paired with 48 MW, four-hour duration, containerized lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS)
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Will be built on 680 +/- acre project area across 8,200 acre of privately-owned land
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Feeds into the Public Service of New Mexico (PNM) grid, providing power to PNM customers
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Located in Santa Fe County, off South Hwy 14. The solar project will be set-back 2 miles from the highway
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The project will be set-back a minimum of 1,000 ft from any adjacent property boundary, nearly 2,000 ft from the nearest residence in San Marcos and 1.3 miles from the nearest residence in El Dorado; the BESS installation will be located approximately 1.5 miles from the closest residence.
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AES will be long-term owner and operator
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At the end of the project’s life, a decommissioning plan outlines the responsibilities and methods for full project infrastructure removal and site restoration.
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The decommissioning bond, Letter of Credit or Parent Guaranty will be held in the County’s name and will be reviewed to ensure it satisfies current market cost to decommission project
Current proposed equipment specs:
| PV Modules: | Make: BYD MLTK-36 550W |
| Inverter: | Make: GPTech PV3MWD |
| Racking: | Make: ATI DuraTrack |
| Battery Module: | Module: SDE E5S |
| Battery Container: | Make: CEN 40' ISO |
| Battery Inverter: | Make: GPTECH 3MWD3-V730 |
Clean energy benefits local communities
- Long-term tax revenue to counties, towns and school districts
- Job creation during construction and operation
- Landowner income diversification, empowering landowner rights
- Local economic stimulus during construction
- Affordable, reliable, locally produced clean energy
- Improved air quality and reduced CO2 emissions
- Social impact funding to area community organizations and non-profits
- Non-permanent development and low-impact construction that ensure land can be sensitively restored at the end of the project’s life
Economic and environmental benefits
We believe in being a good neighbor, ensuring responsible clean energy development that benefits both the environment and local communities without burdening existing infrastructure.
> 268,000 MWh
carbon-free electricity each year; will offset estimated 119,965 tons of CO2 emissions annually, equivalent to the emissions generated by 42,364 cars driven in one year
*EPA Calculator
Estimated > $10 million tax revenue and estimated $4M in gross receipts taxes
expected to be generated for Santa Fe County over the life of the project
200+ jobs
expected to be created during peak construction
> $200 million capital investment
Enough electricity during max output (estimated)
to power Santa Fe’s entire residential load over the course of a year
$28 million in labor and wages; $5 million in new wages / material in Santa Fe County; $18 million in New Mexico manufacturing output
AES’ commitment to safety
At AES, safety is our highest priority. This includes the safety for our workers, our partners and contractors, and the people in the communities we serve. AES pioneered utility-scale energy storage technology, and we’ve have been operating a global fleet of battery energy storage systems (BESS) for nearly two decades.
AES’ BESS projects are designed and tested to meet all the latest applicable codes and standards, including NFPA 855 and UL9540. The Rancho Viejo project will be equipped with advanced safety monitoring and management systems to ensure that risks associated with the installation and operation of the battery system are addressed and mitigated. These safety features include fire suppression at the individual battery cell level and active exhaust ventilation and deflagration vents to prevent the buildup of combustible gases in the enclosure.
AES is also working closely with the Santa Fe County Fire Department during the Rancho Viejo solar project’s development to implement robust safety measures for the design, construction, testing, and operation of the facility. AES is committed to providing the appropriate training to the fire department prior to commercial operation and throughout the operational lifetime of the project.
Visual simulations
Photo-realistic simulations provide a visual rendering of the before-and-after conditions of the planned project.
We have updated the visual simulations to match our new design plans.
Environmental and technical studies
We conduct a series of studies that ensure our projects are thoughtfully and responsibly designed.
- Aquatic Resources Inventory Report: Update completed July 2024
- Biological Survey Report: Update completed July 2024
- Phase I Environmental Site Assessment: Completed May 2022
- Cultural Resources Pedestrian Survey Report: Completed July 2022
- Hydrologic and Hydraulic Study: October 2022
- Site Thresholds Analysis: October 2022
- Geotechnical Investigation: Revised completed April 2024
- Noise Technical Report Rancho Viejo Solar Project, July 2024
- Environmental Impact Report for the Rancho Viejo Solar Project, completed July 24, 2024
- Decommissioning Plan, completed July 2024
- Vegetation and Noxious Weed Management Plan, completed July 2024
- Pre-Incident Plan, completed July 2024
- First Responder Mitigation Guidelines, completed July 2024
- Preliminary Hazard Mitigation Analysis, completed August 2024
Partnering with communities for the future of energy
At AES, we understand that our success as a company is only as strong as our partnerships with the communities where we operate. That’s why we partner with communities, customers, state agencies, higher education, elected officials and other key stakeholders to see how we can best work together to support sustainable social and economic development.
Building New Mexico’s clean energy workforce with Santa Fe YouthWorks
AES has partnered with Sante Fe-based nonprofit, YouthWorks, and donated funds that will allow 10 students to attend solar installation training courses to prepare them for the PV Associates exam and a career in the renewable energy industry. Since 2001, YouthWorks has served thousands of youth while expanding youth development opportunities that include youth advocacy, high-impact interventions, alternative education, and employment connections for young people.
Training students for a future in solar with Solar Energy International
AES has partnered with Solar Energy International (SEI), a nationally leading solar training and educational non-profit, to provide solar workforce development training in New Mexico. As part of that effort, AES has created an AES-funded scholarship, which provides financial assistance to 15 New Mexico residents to cover solar education tuition fees.
The partnership with SEI also includes services for colleges and universities to provide career development consulting for the future solar industry workforce. These efforts aim to stimulate participation in New Mexico’s clean energy future.
Accelerating renewable energy in tribal communities
In our continuing effort to advance renewable energy initiatives and create new economic opportunities on tribal lands, AES, along with the GRID Alternatives Tribal Program, have teamed up with the Pueblo of Santa Ana in New Mexico to install a rooftop solar system on the Pueblo’s Tamaya Wellness Center.
The Pueblo of Santa Ana has long been committed to preserving its cultural heritage and protecting the natural environment. By partnering with AES and Grid Alternatives, the Pueblo of Santa Ana is meeting its commitment to transition to clean energy and create local job opportunities while fostering the environmental and economic well-being of its members.
AES is a proud member and partner of:
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Santa Fe Green Chamber of Commerce
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New Mexico State University
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Santa Fe Youthworks
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GRID Alternatives Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund
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Apprenticeship partner programs with state union labor organizations
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Solar Energy International (SEI)
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Gila Natural Resources Information Project
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SOLARCYCLE
Contact us
We want to hear from you! We appreciate your interest in AES' Rancho Viejo Solar project.
Email: ranchoviejosolar@aes.com
Phone: 505-490-4935