Kit Carson Electric unveils 21st solar array, battery storage facility near Colorado border

AMALIA — One of New Mexico's largest electric cooperatives unveiled its latest investment in renewable energy on Thursday near the Colorado border.

The Amalia II Solar & Battery Facility adds 8.75 MW of solar generation and 8.75 MW of advanced battery storage to Kit Carson Electric Cooperative's power grid. The new facility marks the 21st solar project for the co-op, which serves customers in Taos, Colfax and Rio Arriba counties.

Located adjacent to the co-op's first solar project in Amalia, the new array and battery facility boosts KCEC's total renewable energy production capacity to 51 MW of solar and 25 MW of battery storage  — enough power to support thousands of homes and businesses in north-central New Mexico in real-time or during emergencies.

KCEC CEO Luis Reyes said testing for the facility was being finalized this week, with plans to begin commercial energy delivery after the first of the new year.

“Today’s ribbon cutting marks more than the launch of a new facility; it represents the fulfillment of a shared community vision years in the making,” Reyes said at a ribbon-cutting event in Amalia on Thursday. “Amalia II enhances grid resilience, boosts local renewable-energy production, and demonstrates the remarkable outcomes we can achieve through dedicated local leadership and mission-driven partnerships.”

KCEC has for years been at the vanguard of rural renewable energy production in the Southwest. In 2022, the co-op achieved a goal of providing 100% daytime solar power to its customers after activating a 170-acre array on U.S. 64 west in Taos County.

That same year, the co-op completed a transition years in the making from former energy partner Tri-State Generation, which placed a 5% cap on solar energy production KCEC could generate. The co-op joined Guzman Energy, an independent energy provider based in Denver.

The Amalia II Solar & Battery Facility was developed through the co-op's partnership with Guzman, Rio Costilla Cooperative Livestock Association (RCCLA) and Luminance.

“RCCLA has always been dedicated to protecting our land, preserving our traditions, and creating opportunities for future generations,” RCCLA President Nick Vigil said. “Amalia II demonstrates that renewable-energy development and responsible land stewardship can work together to strengthen our communities, support wildlife, and preserve the natural heritage of our region.”

Reyes said the co-op's continued investment in solar energy storage is crucial in meeting energy demands during peak usage hours and extreme weather events, and reduces its reliance on long-distance transmission lines during high-risk wildfire periods.

As part of its renewables strategy, KCEC is also continuing to pursue the development of three community microgrids in Taos Ski Valley, Peñasco and El Rito, west of Taos. 

Localizing energy systems in wildfire-prone areas of New Mexico can both help to lower the risk of fire disasters and assist homeowners and prospective home buyers in managing insurance costs, Reyes said.

The co-op also boasts AI-powered weather monitoring stations and cameras also designed to drive down wildfire risk and insurance rates across its service area.

"Home insurances are being canceled and premiums are increasing to the point of being unaffordable," Reyes told the Journal. "Some people just starting out can't get insurance, so they can't get a mortgage. We're trying to figure out, how can we develop strategies around our infrastructure to both make our communities safer and let the insurance industry understand that we're doing a lot to mitigate forest fires."

Reyes visited Questa earlier this fall to speak with local residents about its planned green hydrogen energy project, which would involve the creation of a new facility in the area to provide another form of clean energy storage by splitting water molecules into pure hydrogen.

Other components of the project, estimated to cost roughly $231 million, are planned for Taos and Picuris Pueblo. The green hydrogen initiative is expected to generate hundreds of jobs for Taos County.

Renewables eclipsed coal as a primary source of electricity worldwide in 2025, according to Ember, an energy think tank, a shift driven mainly by solar and wind power investments.

“We can complain about what’s going on in D.C., or we can just work locally with our partners and keep that commitment that we made,” Reyes said. “We made a commitment to 100% daytime. We’ve hit that, and now we’re building more solar and battery so we can get to nighttime. The theme on our board is: Stick together, and build the energy resources that we want.”

 John Miller is the northern New Mexico correspondent for the Albuquerque Journal. He can be reached at jmiller@abqjournal.com