78th largest plant in New Mexico · 5651st nationally
Rio Communities Solar Energy Center is a solar power plant in New Mexico with a nameplate capacity of 10.0 MW. It generates roughly 25.5k MWh per year — enough to power about 2,426 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 29% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Rio Communities Solar Energy Center |
|---|---|
| Operator | Pnm Resources |
| City | Rio Communities |
| County | Valencia County |
| State | New Mexico |
| ZIP | 87002 |
| Coordinates | 34.58260, -106.68297 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RCSEC | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 10.0 MW | Operating | 2015 |
| NERC Region | WECC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Public Service Company Of New Mexico |
Utility-scale solar farms convert sunlight directly into electricity using photovoltaic panels. They produce zero direct emissions and have no fuel cost, but generation is variable — peaking at midday and falling to zero at night. Capacity factors typically run 18–28% in good locations.