Latest news with #DylanConnelly
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nonprofit breaks ground on unprecedented project that will lower energy bills for thousands of homes: 'We are ecstatic'
The Land of Enchantment is getting a major eco-friendly boost, with solar installation company Affordable Solar breaking ground on New Mexico's first community solar project in February. As CleanTechnica reported, the Cuidando Los Niños Community Solar Project — named after a nonprofit that helps families and children experiencing homelessness — consists of seven solar installations totaling 35 megawatts. PV Magazine explained that the electricity generated from the solar projects will power an estimated 15,000 homes, with 50% of the energy going to low-income residents to help reduce their electric bills. The community solar farms will be located in Valencia County, about an hour south of Albuquerque. Gridworks, a top-rated engineering, procurement, and construction firm in solar projects, is partnering with Affordable Solar on the massive installation, which they anticipate will be operational in early summer. Community solar projects like this one expand access to affordable solar energy for residents and businesses that can't install rooftop solar because of costs, limited roof space, heavy shading, or restrictions on making sustainable upgrades. When electric utility customers sign up for community solar, they receive credits on their energy bill for the electricity generated while reducing reliance on polluting fuels. The Community Solar Act, which was introduced in New Mexico in 2021, made the groundbreaking solar project possible. The legislation allows utility customers to subscribe to electricity generated by solar farms under 5MW and offset monthly energy costs with utility bill credits. In addition to lowering electric bills for customers, the unprecedented solar project will bring much-needed jobs and economic stimulus to New Mexico. AES cited a University of New Mexico study that found community solar programs in the state will generate over $2.9 million annually in tax revenue, create 3,760 high-quality jobs over the next five years, and produce $517 million in economic benefits. "In alignment with the governor's plan for 50% renewable energy by 2030, this report illustrates that community solar has the potential to be a highly beneficial addition to the sustainable energy industry in New Mexico," Rose Rohrer, a research scientist for the Bureau of Business and Economic Research, said in a UNM news release. "After nearly four years of hard work, we are ecstatic to begin construction on this historic project and to play a role in bringing renewable energy to communities across New Mexico," Dylan Connelly, a project developer at Affordable Solar, said in a statement. "This project not only reflects our commitment to clean energy but also highlights our dedication to giving back to the communities where we live and work." Would you want a garden that can take care of itself? Sign me up Depends on the price No — that ruins the fun I don't like gardening Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Solar roller-coaster': Why is community solar having a hard time getting off the ground?
It's always a 'solar roller-coaster,' said Dylan Connelly, director of commercial and community solar for Affordable Solar. In February, Affordable Solar broke ground on the state's first community solar project in Valencia County. It's been a long haul; speaking at a Friday panel at the Electrify New Mexico 2025 Conference, Connelly joked he's had two children in the time between Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's signing the Community Solar Act into law in 2021 and breaking ground on the project earlier this year. At the same panel, state Public Regulation Commission chief of staff Cholla Khoury acknowledged the delays. 'Getting [shovels] in the ground was slow,' Khoury said. 'I think as we move forward, that pace is going to pick up.' Subscribers to community solar projects don't own solar panels themselves. But they pay into the projects, which put the energy produced into the local energy grid. When subscribers get their utility bills, they include a credit taken off. New Mexico's program aims to reach low-income residents, with a certain percentage of subscribers required to be low income. The PRC estimates subscribers could reduce electric bills by an average of up to 30%. But it's been slow going. Connelly said there's a bottleneck as community solar projects are reviewed and go through the permitting process. Appeals over the community program itself have also stymied project starts. A November update on the status of the program stated that, at the time, no projects had broken ground, despite an 'overwhelming response' to the program — and the fact that the PRC had already approved dozens of projects for the first round of the program. Disputes over the rules and costs of the program were one factor that's slowed the program; in January, the state Supreme Court rejected appeals to the community solar rules filed by electric utilities. But that's not the only obstacle. Beth Beloff, founder and president of the Coalition of Sustainable Communities, said 'a lot of the world changed' in the four years since the legislation was adopted. Supply chain issues in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, market uncertainty and the interest rate environment have all made it more challenging. 'But we have a resilient community solar environment,' Beloff said Friday.
