Kit Carson Electric Coop (KCEC) delivers 100% Daytime Solar starting in June 2022
KCEC is a non-profit Electric Cooperative. There are 900 electric coops in the US, serving 42 million people. The people that buy power from KCEC are members of the coop. The KCEC grid has nearly 30,000 member accounts. The average member uses 500 kWh (0.5 MWh) per month. KCEC’s total demand often hovers at 30 MW and sometimes tops 40 MW.
In June 2022, KCEC energized a new 21 MW solar array online, bringing it’s solar generation capacity to 35 MW! That is enough power to feed KCEC members with 100% locally generated solar energy during peak solar hours. It includes 4MWh of backup battery storage.
Drone footage of KCEC’s 21 MW “Taos Mesa Solar Array” currently near completion, east of the Taos Municipal Airport.
KCEC Fact Sheet
Four of the largest wind turbines in the world could meet almost all of the needs of Kit Carson’s customers. KCEC’s load often exceeds 50 MW. New Mexico generates 50 times that with wind farms alone.
The Vista Trail Power Line Upgrade
The Vista Trail power line will replace the existing power line that runs through Taos Canyon to Springer on the I-25 corridor. The existing 50 year old wooden pole powerline runs at peak capacity and is reaching the end of its serviceable life.
Vista Trail Study Area Map
Vista Trail will increase the availability of electricity to Taos by at least tenfold. It will link Taos to 2,550 MW of clean wind energy from eastern New Mexico.
