Nov 13 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Ashley Meeks Las Cruces Sun-News, N.M.


Warren Harkey's 2.6-kilowatt solar system more than covers all his 2,000-square-foot Las Cruces home's needs.

With about $7,000 in federal and state tax credits offsetting the initial, $23,000 investment, plus $30 to $60 returned to him every month by El Paso Electric for feeding power into the grid, "I'm getting about a 7 percent return on my outlay," he said Thursday.

A geothermal system like Thomas Lee's costs about $15,000 -- or $7,000 after tax credits -- and takes care of his furnace, air conditioning and hot water, paying for itself in about five years, said the owner of Earth Power Comfort Systems.

But as District 4 City Councilor Nathan Small acknowledged, "these local solutions only go so far."

Small spoke at an event Thursday at Positive Energy Solar in Las Cruces, where a lobbying group pushing the federal government to pass laws that benefit industries like solar power and tighten restrictions on coal plants and other industry advocated investment in renewable energy and legislative reform.

One larger reform, approved by the New Mexico Legislature this year, is expected to soon establish what's called a renewable energy financing district in Do-a Ana County -- where home-owners essentially pay a mortgage on a solar, wind or geothermal system -- instead of having to come up with tens of thousands of dollars all upfront, like Harkey or Lee did.

Hundreds of residents have already expressed interest in signing up, said Small, who said implementation

is months off.

"That's been the experience in other communities that do this. It gets subscribed very quickly," Small said, calling the financing district a "jump-start" in businesses, like Positive Energy, which continue to add jobs as interest grows. With financing districts in place, "you could see folks paying for the cost of the system every month with the (money) they're getting back."

Ashley Meeks can be reached at ameeks@lcsun-news.com; (575) 541-5462.

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