El Paso Electric (EPE), whose service territory includes the Rio Grande Valley in west Texas and southern New Mexico, and Element Power, a renewable energy project developer, have announced the execution of a power purchase agreement (PPA) for the total output from Element Power's 50 MW Macho Springs solar project.
The solar photovoltaic power plant is located near Deming, N.M., on land leased from the New Mexico State Land Office. EPE selected Element Power's Macho Springs project offering from a competitive all-sources power request for proposals.
"This project underscores EPE’s strategic goal to further enhance its overall energy portfolio mix by providing customers with competitive-based solar energy and helping to make a difference in the communities that we serve,” says Tom Shockley, CEO of El Paso Electric Co.
The PPA is subject to approval by the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, and EPE expects the project to start construction in 2013 and be completed in 2014.
