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As the Mayor of the Village of Questa, I was surprised by Michael Tashji’s article in the Feb. 11 issue of the Taos News titled “Solar energy lights the way forward in Questa” with its implication that solar was new to Questa. I was also surprised by Bill Baron’s cartoon in the same issue with the caption, “Ghost of the carbon footprint,” implying that Questa had now finally started “mining the sun.”
In fact, Questa has been generating approximately 1 MW of solar power per day for a decade. That is roughly the equivalent of our demand. Our village, therefore, has been a local leader in developing renewable energy. All the relevant background information can be found in the US EPA’s case study titled “New Energies: UtilityScale Solar on a Tailing Disposal Facility” (semspub.epa.gov/work/
HQ/190025.pdf). In that document, Kit Carson Electric Cooperative CEO Luís Reyes is quoted as saying: “It really has been a showcase to take people to and show them how to do it. Chevron has allowed us to show the public how solar energy really works.”
This solar array is an excellent example of the type of partnerships we as a village pursue. In this case, Chevron installed the array at its tailing facility as a component of the overall environmental remediation of its Questa mine site. They continue to operate and maintain the array, selling the power to Kit Carson Electric Cooperative. In 2015, we were fortunate that Taos Bakes decided to locate their production facility at the Questa Business Park. At the time, we were able to offer up Questa’s renewable energy production as part of the overall sales pitch for them to locate in our community.
Speaking of the Questa Business
Park, I am proud to say that, with financial assistance from the federal government, Chevron and the New Mexico Environment Department, and design work funded by the Questa Economic Development Fund, we have neared completion of the buildout of a major expansion. With grading, drainage and utility infrastructure installed, we are ready to welcome additional tenants just as we welcomed Taos Bakes. This is part of our larger strategy to diversify Questa’s economy, support job growth and increase tax revenue for the benefit of our community. For more information about this business opportunity, please contact the Village of Questa by writing to our Interim Administrator, Renée Martínez, at rmartinez@ villageofquesta.org.
Sincerely,