Representatives of the Albuquerque-based company Affordable Solar are touting the installations as a great example of a public-private partnership that benefits the city, its residents, and involved businesses.
Deming Mayor Andres Silva said the city was excited to be a participant in this renewable energy project, which he said not only helps the city water and wastewater facilities stabilize their energy costs over the next 20 years, but furthers Deming’s greener approach to the environment.
The city did not have to fund the construction of the solar projects, but committed to purchasing solar generated electricity at a fixed price for the next 25 years.
Officials said the power purchase agreement is expected to save Deming approximately a million dollars over the contract term and will provide a hedge against volatility in electricity costs over the coming decades.
The savings and better control of electricity costs should translate into better control of water rates Deming.
Combined, the three solar systems utilize close to 3000 solar panels to locally generate approximately 1.5 million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity per year – enough energy to power 160 average homes.