PNM Renewable Energy
 

 

At PNM, we work around the clock to produce the energy necessary to serve each and every one of our customers. To achieve this, we must carefully balance our energy production to meet changing needs, ensuring affordable and reliable energy for all New Mexicans. The "renewable percentage" is the amount of energy generated by renewable resources, such as sun and wind, currently being produced to meet customer demand. Throughout the day, this percentage fluctuates based on changes to the weather such as cloud coverage, wind conditions, the time of day and the amount of energy being used by our customers. This display is updated every 15 minutes to ensure the most accurate representation of current renewable energy production. 

If there is ever a number not being displayed - we are experiencing anomalies within our calculations and will work to report back to you immediately. Once updated, you will see an accurate reflection of our current renewable production, because PNM never stops producing renewable energy for our customers.

This project reflects PNMs commitment to transparency and being open to the customers and communities we serve. Transparency means giving customers access to real-time information, so they know where their energy is coming from and how it is being produced. At times, our renewable energy production may only represent a small portion of our overall generation, as our industry has struggled to incorporate increased levels of renewables due to their potential for large variability.  However, we have made significant progress in recent years and we are confident we can continue this trend of offering customers increased renewable production while maintaining reliability and affordability. Our mission is to serve customers by providing the most renewable energy possible while delivering safe, affordable, reliable energy throughout the day. Certain factors outside our control, including weather, may decrease the amount of renewable energy provided on certain days.

Check out the video below to see how PNM is continuing to use renewable energy throughout the state of New Mexico. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. What does the renewable percentage on your website mean?
A. The renewable percentage is the measured amount of energy that PNM is able to produce from sun, wind and geothermal energy. This amount changes day to day due to things like cloud cover, wind conditions, the time of day, and the amount of energy that New Mexicans use on any given day. This information is updated every 15 minutes in order to provide the most accurate report possible.

Q. What are renewable resources?
A. Think of renewable resources as the equipment and infrastructure that turn geothermal heat, sunlight, and wind into electricity.

Q. Why are renewables a good choice for New Mexico?
A. Renewable generation produces little to no emissions and is an additional clean power source for the people and the environment of New Mexico. PNM is working hard to make New Mexico a national leader in renewable energy, which will help attract more business to the state, leading to greater job opportunities and prosperity for New Mexicans. The challenge with renewables is that we need back-up power sources for the times when the sun is not shining or the wind is not blowing.

Q. Why does not all of our electricity come from renewable resources?
A. While New Mexico is lucky to have more sunny days than even Florida does, there are times when the sun just does not shine or the wind does not blow. In order to provide reliable power 24-7, back-up energy sources need to be available. PNM continues to add more renewable energy and expects that by 2032, 70 percent of the electricity on our system will come from emission-free sources.

Q. Cannot solar and wind energy be stored so that PNM can use them even in times when the sun does not shine and the wind does not blow?
A. Battery storage is constantly improving, but current storage capacity has limits. Depending on the time of year and the time of day, demand for energy fluctuates, and when customer demand is high, the stored energy may be used up more quickly. PNM is constantly evaluating available battery storage technology and is contributing to research and development through the PNM Prosperity Energy Storage Project at Mesa Del Sol.

Q. Why is the website not displaying a number for the percentage of renewable energy on the PNM grid?
A: There are two possible reasons that a number may not be displayed:

  1. If renewable resources (solar, wind, geothermal) account for less than 5 percent of the energy on the PNM grid, a number will not be displayed because of monitoring limitations; or
  2. A number will not be displayed if the telemetry data or computer systems that provide the information are interrupted due to a temporary equipment problem. We will work to get the information back online as soon as possible.

Q. How is the renewable percentage calculated?
A. Our metering devices pull together the information from all of the PNM solar, wind and geothermal facilities around the state, and then we add those figures together and divide that total by the amount of energy our customers need at the time. There is currently no way to measure the energy generated by rooftop solar installations, but that energy does indirectly help to reduce the amount of energy PNM has to produce.

Q. How is the PNM Renewable Recap calculated for KOAT?
A.  The Recap is the highest percentage reached in a 24 hour period.