Sandoval County replenishes grant fund

Sandoval County has replenished its business continuity grant program with $1 million in federal funding, according to a news release.

The county received the money from the American Rescue Plan Act, and can only use it to reimburse costs of business interruption caused by required closures or reduced size of operations. Businesses are only eligible for the funds if those costs were not paid by insurance or by another governmental program, the release said.

Businesses that applied for but did not receive county CARES Act funds during the last round, or whose costs exceeded the $20,000 limit will be prioritized.

Once open, the program will offer a way for businesses to request funding of more than the established $20,000 limit. Those “extraordinary requests” will require approval from county commissioners, the release said.

For more information on ARPA funding, contact Sandoval County Economic Director Dora Dominguez at ddominguez@ sandovalcountynm.gov or by phone at 505-867-8687.

New Mexico’s largest solar carport of its kind is up and running, and has begun producing electricity for state buildings in Santa Fe, according to a news release.

The 1.6-megawatt structure, which cost $6.9 million, is supplying electricity to three government buildings and was built as part of the State Buildings Green Energy Project, according to the release from New Mexico General Services Department. The carport is expected to supply about 40% of the buildings’ annual power needs, which amounts to about $219,000 in savings each year, the release said.

The carport is also expected to reduce the state’s annual carbon dioxide emissions by about 2,410 metric tons, or about the amount produced by burning 2.7 million pounds of coal.

The $32 million overall buildings project, headed by Trane Technologies, began in 2019, and is projected to be mostly finished this year. The carport was built by subcontractor Positive Energy Solar, a New Mexico company, the release said.