ROSWELL, N.M., Oct. 6, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- State and local
leaders joined executives from NextEra Energy Resources and Xcel
Energy this morning to celebrate the commissioning of New Mexico's largest solar energy projects –
the Roswell and Chaves County
Solar Energy Centers.
"Solar energy creates solid, high-paying jobs and produces
millions of dollars in payments over the life of the project to
landowners and local government that directly benefit schools,
roads and essential services," said Mike
O'Sullivan, senior vice president of development for NextEra
Energy Resources, which developed and built the projects and will
own and operate them. "These projects are something we can all be
proud of – an investment in the community that will help sustain
Chaves County economically and
provide clean, renewable energy for generations to come."
The Roswell and Chaves County
Solar Energy Centers feature approximately 600,000 solar panels
with trackers that will follow the sun from east to west each day
to maximize energy production. Together, they have a generating
capacity of 140 megawatts, or enough to power more than 40,000
homes. The energy will serve customers of Xcel Energy in
New Mexico and Texas starting this year, under two power
purchase agreements approved by the New Mexico Public Regulation
Commission.
"Our customers have told us they want more affordable, renewable
energy, generated by the state's own sunshine, and these projects
are an excellent demonstration of how we are delivering on that
commitment for our customers," said David
Hudson, president of Xcel Energy New Mexico and Texas. "Additionally, this is an opportunity
for Xcel Energy to diversify our energy production resource mix in
an economical manner."
By using renewable energy from the sun, the projects will avoid
approximately 240,000 tons per year of carbon dioxide emissions
that would have been produced if the electricity had been generated
using fossil fuels.
"New Mexico, and Chaves County in particular, is fortunate to
have one of the best solar resources in the country," said
Robert Corn, chairman of the
Chaves County Commission. "These
projects are proof of what we can do when we work together to help
develop renewable energy, protecting the environment and creating
good jobs and economic growth for our community and our state."
The projects have created a significant economic boost for the
Chaves County and Roswell area, creating about 300 jobs during
the construction phase, as well as five full-time positions to
operate the energy centers. From labor and materials, to housing,
health care and construction - a wide variety of local businesses
have benefitted from the influx of economic activity. Over their
operational life, the two energy centers are expected to generate
payments in lieu of property taxes of $660,000 per year for the local area, with a
portion going to Chaves County and
a portion directly to the Roswell Independent School District.
NextEra Energy Resources
NextEra Energy Resources,
LLC (together with its affiliated entities, "NextEra Energy
Resources"), is a clean energy leader and is one of the largest
wholesale generators of electric power in the U.S., with
approximately 18,260 megawatts of generating capacity, which
includes megawatts associated with noncontrolling interests related
to NextEra Energy Partners, LP (NYSE: NEP), primarily in 25 states
and Canada as of April 2016. NextEra Energy Resources, together
with its affiliated entities, is the world's largest generator of
renewable energy from the wind and sun. The business operates
clean, emissions-free nuclear power generation facilities in
New Hampshire, Iowa and Wisconsin as part of the NextEra Energy
nuclear fleet, which is one of the largest in the United States. NextEra Energy Resources,
LLC is a subsidiary of Juno Beach,
Fla.-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE). For more
information, visit www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.
Xcel Energy
Xcel Energy provides the energy that
powers millions of homes and businesses across eight Western and
Midwestern states. Headquartered in Minneapolis, the company is an industry leader
in responsibly reducing carbon emissions and producing and
delivering clean energy solutions from a variety of renewable
sources at competitive prices. For more information, visit
www.xcelenergy.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
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SOURCE NextEra Energy Resources