September 11, 2006—The largest electric and gas utility in New Mexico has signed a contract to buy 35 megawatts of power from the state’s first biomass power plant. PNM announced recently that it signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Western Water and Power Production, which plans to build the plant near Estancia, about 40 miles southeast of Albuquerque.
The plant will burn wood produced from forest thinning efforts in the area and will use state-of-the-art technology to minimize air emissions. It will be located next to Tagawa Greenhouses, which will use waste heat from the power plant to heat the greenhouse. PNM expects the plant to begin operating in early 2009. For more information visit PNM.
