Rio Communities Solar Energy Center — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 60198
- Capacity
- 10 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Solar
- Technology
- Solar Photovoltaic
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Valencia, NM
- Operating Since
- 2015
- Generators
- 1
- Operator
- PNM Resources
- Parent Company
- PNM Resources
- Annual Generation
- 26,760 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 30.5%
- Balancing Authority
- Public Service Company of New Mexico
- ISO/RTO
- —
- NERC Region
- WECC
Rio Communities Solar Energy Center
OperatingSolar
Ranked #49 of 97 Solar plants in NM#2112 of 7447 nationally
10 MW Solar operating in Valencia, NM — Public Service Company of New Mexico
EIAGEMWD
10 MW
Nameplate Capacity
1
Generators
unit
Solar Photovoltaic
Technology
2015
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
34.6378, -106.7009
County
Valencia, NM
Nearby Plants
- Valencia Energy FacilityNatural Gas159.5 MW · 4.1 km
- Rio De Oro Solar Energy CenterSolar10 MW · 6.1 km
- ASG-8Solar5 MW · 10.7 km
Ownership & Operator
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | PNM Resources | PNM Resources | — |
| Owner(s) | PNM Resources | PNM Resources | — |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
Ownership Chain
About
The Rio Communities Solar Energy Center is a 10 MW solar photovoltaic power plant located in Valencia County, New Mexico. The plant began operating in 2015 and has one generator. It is owned by PNM Resources. The facility utilizes single-axis tracking to maximize solar energy capture. Rio Communities Solar Energy Center is ranked 37th out of 84 power plants in New Mexico and 1910th out of 7108 plants nationally.
The plant's primary fuel source is the sun. In its most recent year of operation, the facility generated 26,760 MWh of electricity, achieving a capacity factor of 30.5%. The plant operates within the Public Service Company of New Mexico balancing authority and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) NERC region. Financial data indicates an installed cost of $1987.44 per kW.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
Engineering & Generators
Grid Context
NERC Region
WECC
Balancing Authority
Public Service Company of New Mexico
Grid Voltage
12.47 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Investor-Owned Utility
Sector
Electric Utility
Generation
1.5K MWh
Latest Month
26.8K MWh
Annual Generation
30.5%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2022 – Dec 2024
Financial DataBeta
Source: FERC Form 1, LBNL Utility-Scale SolarHIGH
$1,987/kW
Installed Cost
Public Service Company of New Mexico
Reporting Utility
Cumulative Installed Cost
Per-Unit Cost Trends
Pricing & Market Data
This plant is outside organized wholesale electricity markets (ISOs/RTOs). Nodal pricing data is not available.
News & Articles (2)Beta
Industry·corporate
2025 brings NM closer to its renewable energy standard of 50% by 2030 - Albuquerque Business First
New Mexico boasts an average of 310 days of sunshine each year and will continue to retain and attract clean energy projects in 2025.
New Mexico (operator)
The Business Journals·1 years ago
Regulatory·state puc
New Mexico approves PNM exit from San Juan coal plant, but CCS could still save facility
The utility will be able to abandon the plant through securitization, providing grants to workers laid off by the closure, but a local...
PNM (operator)
Utility Dive·6 years ago
Last updated 2026-03-14
View all articles