Socorro Independent School District trustees approved an initial letter of interest April 16 to explore participation in El Paso Electric’s new Texas Business Solar Program.

Facilities Director Vilena Fierro told the board the program allows businesses and qualifying government customers, including school districts, to subscribe to power from a dedicated utility-scale solar facility—Felina Solar Project—without installing panels on their own property. Cynthia Piña, a program representative for El Paso Electric, and key-account representative Gilbert Rivera joined the meeting by video to answer board questions.

Piña said the Felina site will dedicate 50 megawatts to the business solar program, occupy roughly 1,000 acres in Far East El Paso County, and is scheduled to begin operations in September 2025. Applications open April 22. Customers can choose one‑, five‑ or ten‑year subscriptions. The subscription charge was described as $10.52 per kilowatt (a fixed figure in the approved tariff), and the company provided sample bill-impact analyses showing both potential savings and added monthly charges depending on the facility’s usage pattern.

Why trustees discussed it: board members pressed district staff on contract terms, how accounts are scored by rate class (for example, some district sites are in rate 41), and how renewable-energy credits (RECs) are handled. Piña said RECs can be retained by customers who sign longer-term contracts; the tariff and customer agreement are publicly filed with the Public Utility Commission of Texas and cannot be changed without regulatory process.

Vote and immediate action: a motion to approve the initial, nonbinding letter of interest passed (motion by Mr. Guerra; second by Ms. Gardella). The vote puts the district in El Paso Electric’s queue for analysis; any decision to subscribe to energy for particular accounts would require further review, legal review of service agreements, and a separate board action.

Clarifying details from the presentation: El Paso Electric said the program requires no up-front capital from subscribers, projects about 220 local construction jobs, and that the $10.52-per-kW subscription charge covers lifecycle costs of the project; credits for avoided generation and fuel costs are applied on customers’ bills and are set in the approved tariff. Piña stressed that savings are not guaranteed and that customers will receive bill-impact analyses before any binding agreement is signed.

Ending: The board’s motion authorizes district staff to register interest and pursue analyses with El Paso Electric; any subscription would come back to the board for formal approval after legal review and detailed cost analysis.