Project overview

Project Updates

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For publicly available copies of the CUP application, please contact the Santa Fe County Planning Department.

AES submitted Rancho Viejo Solar's Conditional Use Permit to the Santa Fe Planning Department on Jan 26, 2023. Copies will become public information upon the determination of a complete report by County officials.

The AES team has been working closely with the community over the past many months and we have heard your questions, concerns, and suggestions. We have listened and adjusted our plans to ensure that AES’ Rancho Viejo Solar project reflects our commitment to being a good neighbor, and delivers long-lasting, positive impact.

The site design has been adjusted so that the project is no longer directly to the north of the San Marcos neighborhood and therefore all necessary modules will move to the northeast corner of the site. This shift in design will continue to ensure the neighboring residents of Rancho San Marcos will have as unobstructed viewshed as possible to the north. Updated visual simulations were developed and are available below on this page. The battery energy storage systems (BESS) will be located in the remote northeast corner of the site design, more than one mile from any residential property.

Neighborhood Meetings: To apply for a Conditional Use Permit, the County requires project applicants to host a pre-application neighborhood meeting. AES hosted two in-person and one virtual meeting, giving notice to adjacent property owners by First Class Mail, email notification, and published a half-page advertisement in the Santa Fe New Mexican, inviting the public to attend. Neighborhood meetings were held at the Turquoise Trail Charter School on August 3 and October 4, 2022. A virtual meeting was hosted on January 4, 2023. A recording of the 10/4/2022 meeting is linked at the bottom of the page, along with the slide presentation.

Project details

Rancho Viejo solar

  • 96 MWac solar facility paired with 48 MW containerized lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS)

  • Will be built on 680 +/- acre project area across 8,200 acre of privately-owned land

  • Feeds into the Public Service of New Mexico (PNM) grid, providing power to PNM customers

  • Located in Santa Fe County, off South Hwy 14. The solar project will be set-back 2 miles from the highway

  • The project will be set-back a minimum of 1,000 ft from any adjacent property boundary

  • AES will be long-term owner and operator

  • At the end of the project’s life, a decommissioning plan allows for the land to be sensitively restored to pre-existing conditions

  • 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

 

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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 ensures land can be sensitively restored to pre-project conditions 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. 

co2

277,315 MWh

carbon-free electricity each year

119,965 tons of CO2 emissions expected to be offset each year, equivalent to the emissions generated by 25,849 cars driven in one year
*EPA Calculator

AES Icon for money: grey dollar sign surrounded by circle of AES colors

$7 million tax revenue

expected to be generated in tax revenue for Santa Fe County over the life of the project

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200+ jobs

expected to be created during peak construction

 

Best practices in responsible battery energy storage management

 

Visual simulations

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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.

Educating our future clean energy leaders

AES has partnered with schools in New Mexico to provide access to renewable energy educational materials that will continue to resource teachers and create learning opportunities for our clean energy leaders of the future.

 

AES is a proud member and partner of

 

  • Santa Fe Green Chamber of Commerce

  • New Mexico State University

  • Santa Fe Youthworks

  • GRID Alternatives Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund

  • Apprenticeship partner programs with state union labor organizations

  • Solar Energy International (SEI)

  • Gila Natural Resources Information Project

  • 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

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