Origis Energy and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association announced Escalante Solar has reached commercial operation. Built on the site of the former 253-MWac, coal-fired Escalante Station near Grants, N.M., which was retired in 2020, the solar project began generating carbon-free electricity on June 1, 2024.
"Escalante Solar helps all our members get to 50% clean energy used in 2025, while meeting the requirements of New Mexico's Energy Transition Act five years ahead of schedule," said Duane Highley, CEO for Tri-State. "We thank Origis Energy for their work to successfully develop Escalante Solar, and we deeply appreciate their engagement with the local community."
"Every time a project is completed and begins commercial operation, that is cause to celebrate," said Guy Vanderhaegen, Executive Chairman of Origis Energy. "We are especially delighted to bring affordable, reliable, renewable electricity to the members of Tri-State, which helps meet Tri-State's decarbonization goals."
Escalante Solar is now delivering 200 MWac of clean solar generation, enough power to serve an estimated 63,000 homes, to Tri-State's members, including 11 electric cooperative members in New Mexico, under a power purchase agreement with Origis Energy. The project was announced in 2020 as part of Tri-State's landmark Responsible Energy Plan and is located in McKinley County, N.M. It's the largest solar project in the Tri-State generation portfolio.
Tri-State and Origis Energy are proud to have worked with local stakeholders on the success and economic development related to the project. Gridworks, headquartered in Albuquerque, N.M., provided construction services for the project, employing an estimated 400 people during that time. Array Technologies, also headquartered in Albuquerque, provided the solar tracking system.
"New Mexico communities have a long, proud history of powering our state and the rest of our country. This new solar project builds on that tradition connecting more families across our state to clean, low-cost electricity," said U.S. Sen. Marin Heinrich, D-New Mexico. "I look forward to continuing the work to grow more economic development opportunities so that all working people in this region can access high-quality careers they can build and support their families with."
For photos and video soundbites, visit the Origis website. For more information about the project, visit the project webpage.
About Origis Energy
Origis Energy is accelerating the transition to a carbon-free future by Reimagining Zero . As one of America's leading renewable energy and decarbonization solution platforms, the company continues to expand and reimagine its contribution to the world's net-zero goals. Origis Energy puts customers first to deploy a wide range of sustainable solutions for grid and distributed power generation, clean hydrogen and long-term operation of solar, energy storage and clean hydrogen plants across the U.S. Founded in 2008, Origis Energy is headquartered in Miami, FL. Learn more at Origis Energy.
About Tri-State
Tri-State is a wholesale power supply cooperative, operating on a not-for-profit basis, with 45 members, including 42 utility electric distribution cooperative and public power district members in four states that together deliver reliable, affordable and responsible power to more than a million electricity consumers across nearly 200,000 square miles of the West. For more information about Tri-State, visit www.tristate.coop.
