Kit Carson Electric Cooperative (KCEC), the sole utility in New Mexico has been awarded $231 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The funding, part of the Empowering Rural America program through USDA’s Rural Utilities Service, will support the development of green hydrogen projects.
The initiative will generate 104 megawatts of energy, sufficient to power approximately 25,000 homes. Currently, KCEC operates 42 megawatts of distributed solar resources and 16 megawatts of battery storage, serving about 30,000 households across Taos, Colfax, and Rio Arriba counties.
According to KCEC, the green hydrogen facilities will be powered by solar energy and stationed alongside closed mine wastewater treatment plants, utilizing repurposed wastewater for hydrogen production. The project will also include long-duration energy storage capabilities, providing up to 16 hours of stored energy.
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