$156M grant earmarked for solar in New Mexico’s low-income communities
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – A grant from the EPA means New Mexico has $156 million to spend on solar power in low-income communities. “It can either be residential solar or community solar or in some cases bringing solar panels to people who are not even on the grid in the first place,” Rebecca Puck Stair with the State’s Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department said.
Puck Stair says this grant is a game changer. “Low-income folks are particularly what we called burdened by utilities, sometimes the poorest households end up paying a higher percentage of their income to heat or cool their households.”
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Money: $156M grant earmarked for solar in New Mexico’s low-income communities
She says it will give people the ability to power their own homes, reduce emissions, and bring New Mexico into its green future. While the grant is geared towards low-income households, Puck Stair believes this will bring opportunity to everyone. “This will kind of kick start a whole market transformation and this big grant will allow us to really turbo charge our solar workforce.”
The department believes this will save residents nearly $300 million in energy costs over 20 years.
Moving forward, the EMNRD wants the community to weigh in on where those panels may go. That’s why the state is creating a committee formed by New Mexicans. “We have an idea of where the grid could handle it or where might be some good flat good places to install solar but we really want the community at the table helping make those decisions,” Puck Stair said.
The state hopes the program’s first solar installation will begin in early 2025.
