SANTA FE, N.M. – New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard today executed long-term leases for two major wind projects on state lands. One lease was awarded to EDF Renewables to develop a wind energy project on 23,840 acres in Grant County; a second lease was awarded to Innergex Renewable Energy for a wind project on 12,192 acres in Hidalgo County. When brought to completion, the EDF project is expected to generate around 400 megawatts of wind energy, enough to power approximately 80,000 homes and making it the second largest wind project on New Mexico state lands. Innergex’s project is expected to put out about 150 megawatts of wind power, enough to power approximately 30,000 homes. Bids for each lease were unsealed at public auctions at the State Land Office building in Santa Fe. Over the life of the projects, they are expected to bring in over $146 million in revenue for New Mexico’s public schools and other beneficiaries of the leased land, including the New Mexico Military Institute, New Mexico Highlands University, Eastern New Mexico University and others.
“We are continuing to help the renewable energy sector grow with each major wind or solar deal on state lands. The fact that there were multiple qualified bidders on both of these leases shows that companies are taking us seriously when we say we are open for business,” said Commissioner Garcia Richard. “New Mexico is blessed with plenty of wind and sun, as well as nine million acres of state lands, making us well-positioned to expand our renewable portfolio even more. These wind projects will provide real, long-term revenue to help make a difference in New Mexico’s classrooms.”
Commissioner Garcia Richard created the first-ever Office of Renewable Energy within the Commercial Resources Division at the State Land Office with the goal of tripling renewable energy leasing and production on state trust lands. The Office has far exceeded initial expectations, as renewable energy on state lands has increased more than six-fold since its inception. When Commissioner Garcia Richard assumed office, there were 400 megawatts of renewable energy under lease on state lands. After today’s auction, there are now approximately 2,505megawatts of wind and solar energy under lease.
View maps of all wind and solar projects on state lands.
View a map of the EW-111 lease area.
View a map of the EW-113 lease area.
Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard has overseen the New Mexico State Land Office since 2019. In that time the agency has earned more than $10 billion for New Mexico public schools, hospitals, and universities. Over 13 million acres of state trust land are leased for a variety of uses, including ranching and farming, renewable energy, business development, mineral development, and outdoor recreation. The State Land Office has a dual mandate to use state trust land to financially support vital public institutions, while simultaneously working to protect the land for future generations.