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US Solar outlines community-solar offer to Mesilla, warns of long municipal commitment
Summary
At its Oct. 14 meeting, the Mesilla Board of Trustees heard a presentation from US Solar on a state community solar project that could serve municipal accounts and residents; the presenter touted low-income discounts and estimated municipal savings but said the town would be asked to commit commercially for 25 years.
Connor McCarthy of US Solar presented a tailored community-solar proposal to the Mesilla Board of Trustees on Oct. 14, saying the company can provide off-site solar credits to the town’s El Paso Electric accounts and to local residents.
McCarthy, identified during the presentation as a representative of US Solar, said the project awarded to his company in a 2023 state RFP is in El Paso Electric territory just outside Mesilla and is moving toward construction. "This site will be operational about August 2026," he told trustees, giving the board an approximate timeline for when solar credits would start appearing on municipal bills.
The presenter summarized how New Mexico’s community solar rules work: projects must have at least 10 subscribers, no single entity may consume more than 40% of a project’s capacity, and 30% of each project’s capacity is dedicated to low-income subscribers. McCarthy said US Solar offers a 28% discount for low-income residents and a 10% discount for commercial subscribers and that, for the town’s 15 eligible accounts, the company estimated about $39,000 in savings over the 25‑year project lifetime.
Trustees and members of the public asked detailed questions about subscription terms and municipal obligations. McCarthy explained residential subscribers below the county median income would receive the larger discount and that residential cancellations require two months’ notice. For municipal-level participation he said the company asks anchor customers to commit commercially for the full 25 years of the project, noting there are contract provisions to reallocate accounts when buildings move.
On early termination, McCarthy described a contractual remedy he said is intended to make the developer whole if the town cancels without notice: "You would owe your last three years of savings," he said, offering a simplified example (three years of the presenter’s illustrative savings totaled $2,850 in his example).
The board pressed practical questions about site location and interconnection. McCarthy said the specific parcel associated with the award sits on state-owned land off Hornada Street, that interconnection upgrades have been paid for, and that construction for sites of this type typically takes about three months once work begins. He also noted program administratives costs passed through as an ‘‘admin cost rider’’ on utility bills for participating accounts.
Chair and several trustees said they wanted time to review the packet and disclosures; the trustee discussion emphasized the need to post a vetted list of community-solar providers to the town website to prevent residents from being solicited by firms not approved by the state. The board did not take an immediate vote on an agreement and the presentation closed with the chair saying staff and trustees would follow up and consider other proposals as needed.
Next steps: trustees will review the disclosures, consult with attorneys as requested, and may invite US Solar or alternative vendors for follow-up work sessions and site visits before making any binding commitment.
