Avangrid Renewables breaks ground on 306-MW La Joya Wind Farm –

This week
Avangrid Renewables said that construction has begun on 35,000 acres of state
trust land for the La Joya Wind Farm in Torrance County. The project will be
installed on a mix of private land and state trust land; the latter was awarded
to Avangrid Renewables by Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard through an open
bid process in September 2019.

The project
will consist of 111 turbines and have a total generating capacity of 306 MW,
once completed. The portion sited on state trust land will include 74 new wind
turbines with a total generating capacity of 207 MW. The entire wind farm
should be operational by the end of 2020, and the output of the wind farm will
be delivered to the Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM).

As work
proceeds, crews are practicing social distancing and best practices during
COVID-19.

The La Joya
Wind Farm is the second Avangrid Renewables project in New Mexico. The adjacent
298-MW El Cabo Wind Farm, consisting of 142 Gamesa 2.0 and 2.1-MW turbines,
became operational in December 2017.

Alejandro de
Hoz, President and CEO of Avangrid Renewables said he is excited by the
progress of the farm and was pleased to partner with the New Mexico State Land
Office on the project.

Commissioner
Garcia Richard’s commitment to renewable energy includes her creation in 2019
of the first Office of Renewable Energy at the State Land Office, which is
currently working to process over 40 applications for new solar and wind energy
projects.

Support for
the wind farm includes New Mexico’s Governor and members of the Federal
Delegation.

“There are
hundreds of thousands of acres of state trust land prime for renewable energy
generation, and this project in partnership with Avangrid Renewables, PNM, and
their customers really highlights our potential as a state to become a
powerhouse for America’s renewable energy future,” Commissioner Garcia Richard
said.

“Over the
lifetime of the La Joya project, we will raise over $41 million for New Mexico
public schools. We are meeting our charge of supporting our beneficiaries with
an eye toward diversifying our state’s revenue streams, and renewable energy
can play an important role in that diversification,” he added.

“When
integrated with our wind, solar and battery storage, PNM is well underway to
not only meet the state’s emissions-free mandate but well positions us on the
path to 100% carbon free by 2040,” said Tom Fallgren, Vice President PNM
Generation.