El Paso Electric Company - Small and Medium System Renewable Energy Certificate Purchase Program

July 02, 2019

Summary

Note: This program closed in 2017.

Since January 2010, El Paso Electric has purchased renewable energy certificates (RECs) from its New Mexico customers who install small photovoltaic (PV) systems and wind systems. The RECs that El Paso Electric purchases will help the utility comply with New Mexico's renewable portfolio standard (RPS) in exchange for a financial incentive to homeowners and businesses who install PV and wind energy systems.

Only systems connected to the utility's grid and net-metered are eligible. RECs will be measured by a separate REC meter and purchased by El Paso Electric on a monthly basis. For contracts signed on or after January 1, 2014, the utility will purchase the REC's from a PV or wind system at a rate of $0.02 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for small systems (<10 kilowatts) and medium systems (10 kW - 100 kW), and at "prevailing market prices" (a rate not exceeding $0.018 per kWh) for large systems. 

Payments will not be made for any RECs produced by a medium system that are in excess of the kWh consumed by the site during a month. REC purchase payments will appear as a credit on the customer's monthly bill. Any credit balance up to $30.00 will be applied to the following month's bill. Once the rolling credit exceeds $30.00 a direct payment will be made to the customer.

See application for further details.

Program Overview

Implementing Sector: Utility
Category: Financial Incentive
State: New Mexico
Incentive Type: Performance-Based Incentive
Web Site: http://www.epelectric.com/nm/residential/renewable-energy-interconnection-1
Administrator: El Paso Electric Company
Start Date: 03/01/2009
Eligible Renewable/Other Technologies:
  • Solar Photovoltaics
  • Wind (All)
  • Wind (Small)
Incentive Amount: Systems 10 kW or less:
PV and Wind: $0.02/kWh
Systems greater than 10 kW and up to 100 kW:
PV and Wind: $0.02/kWh
Systems greater than 100 kW and up to 1,000 kW:
Prevailing market prices, not to exceed 90% of the price paid for RECs generated by systems up to 100 kW in size
Maximum Incentive: $0.02/kWh for systems up to 100 kW
$0.018/kWh for systems larger than 100 kW
Terms: Must have a REC meter installed
Eligible System Size: 1 MW or less
Ownership of Renewable Energy Credits: El Paso Electric Company

Incentives

This program has 2 incentives
Technologies: Solar Photovoltaics, Wind (All), Wind (Small)
Sectors: Commercial, Industrial, Local Government, Nonprofit, Residential, Schools, State Government, Federal Government, Agricultural, Multifamily Residential, Institutional
Parameters: The system has a minimum of 100.00 kW, The incentive is 0.02 $/kWh
Technologies: Solar Photovoltaics, Wind (All), Wind (Small)
Sectors: Commercial, Industrial, Local Government, Nonprofit, Schools, State Government, Federal Government, Agricultural, Multifamily Residential, Institutional
Parameters: The system has a maximum of 100.00 kW, The incentive is 0.02 $/kWh, The system has a minimum of 1000.00 kW

Contact

Name: El Paso Electric -- Small Renewables
Organization: El Paso Electric Company
Address: PO Box 982
El Paso TX 79960
Phone: (915) 872-4595
Email: smallrenewables@epelectric.com

This information is sourced from DSIRE; the most comprehensive source of information on incentives and policies that support renewables and energy efficiency in the United States. Established in 1995, DSIRE is operated by the N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center at N.C. State University.