Pluma Construction, ForeFront Power and Standard Solar Advance 48.4 MW Community Solar Portfolio in New Mexico
A significant step forward for clean energy access in the American Southwest has been announced as New Mexico–based Pluma Construction, alongside ForeFront Power and Standard Solar, unveiled a new community solar portfolio totaling 48.4 megawatts (MW) across the state of New Mexico. The eight-project initiative is designed to expand access to solar power through subscriber-based participation, allowing households and businesses to benefit from renewable energy even if they cannot install rooftop solar systems.
The newly announced portfolio represents one of the earliest batches of projects delivered under the New Mexico Community Solar Program, a statewide initiative aimed at increasing renewable energy adoption and providing residents with affordable electricity options. By combining project development, financial backing, operational expertise, and customer enrollment services, the partners have created an integrated approach to bringing community solar to a wider audience.
A Collaborative Approach to Solar Development
The portfolio was originally developed by Pluma Construction, a New Mexico–based company with deep regional roots and experience in infrastructure and renewable energy construction. The development process was supported by ForeFront Power, a solar and storage developer that works with businesses, governments, and communities to deploy distributed energy projects.
Once the projects were developed, Standard Solar acquired the portfolio and will serve as the long-term owner and operator of the solar facilities. This ensures that the projects will be maintained, operated, and optimized over their lifetime to deliver consistent energy generation and subscriber savings.
Meanwhile, solar subscription management and customer enrollment are being handled by Solstice, a company that specializes in connecting households with community solar projects. Through this model, residents who subscribe to the solar farms receive credits on their electricity bills, reflecting their share of the energy produced by the facilities.
Together, the partnership highlights how collaboration between developers, operators, and subscription providers can accelerate renewable energy deployment while ensuring that the benefits reach local communities.
Energy Generation and Subscriber Benefits
Across all eight sites, the community solar portfolio is projected to generate approximately 103,287 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity during its first year of operation. This level of production is sufficient to power thousands of homes and businesses while reducing reliance on fossil-fuel-based electricity.
Importantly, several of the solar projects are already operational, meaning subscribers in multiple communities across the state are beginning to receive energy bill credits generated by the facilities. These savings represent one of the key advantages of community solar programs: residents can benefit from renewable power without installing equipment on their property.
The portfolio also supports the broader objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions while increasing access to affordable electricity—two priorities that have become central to energy policy in the region.
Leveraging Public and Private Land
A number of projects in the portfolio are located on land managed by the New Mexico State Land Office, which oversees lands held in trust for the benefit of public institutions such as schools. By partnering with the state land office, the solar developers were able to identify suitable sites that balance energy generation with land stewardship.
These state-trust locations complement other projects that are privately sited, creating a diversified network of solar facilities distributed across the state. This mix of public and private land partnerships helps expand solar access while ensuring that the program can grow sustainably.
Through this strategy, the portfolio helps extend community solar opportunities to a broader geographic area, ensuring that residents across multiple regions can participate in the program.
A Growing Community Solar Market
The timing of the portfolio’s launch comes as New Mexico’s community solar market continues to expand rapidly. State regulators recently approved an increase of 300 MW in additional capacity under the statewide program cap. Demand for community solar subscriptions has significantly exceeded the available capacity, demonstrating strong interest from both residents and businesses seeking affordable clean energy.
By bringing projects online early in the program’s development, the new portfolio helps translate policy momentum into real-world results. Operating solar facilities mean electricity generation, financial savings for subscribers, and progress toward the state’s renewable energy goals.
Industry observers see this type of early deployment as critical for ensuring that community solar programs succeed. When operational projects begin delivering tangible benefits, confidence in the program grows among both consumers and investors.
Leadership Perspectives on the Project
Leaders from the participating companies emphasized the importance of collaboration and long-term commitment in making the portfolio a reality.
Chris Pacheco, founder of Pluma Construction, highlighted the milestone as an important moment for clean energy in the state. According to Pacheco, the projects represent a major step toward expanding affordable renewable energy access for residents throughout New Mexico.
He also noted that the involvement of companies like ForeFront Power, Standard Solar, and Solstice ensures that the projects will be effectively managed and that subscribers will receive reliable service and energy savings.
From the development side, ForeFront Power CEO Ruben Fontes described the initiative as a key achievement within the state’s innovative community solar program. He pointed out that the successful transfer of the portfolio to Standard Solar and the activation of the first projects demonstrate how collaborative partnerships can deliver scalable clean energy solutions.
Fontes also emphasized that community solar plays a role not only in advancing renewable energy but also in improving energy affordability, a factor that is becoming increasingly important for households facing rising electricity costs.
Long-Term Operations and Reliability
As the portfolio’s long-term owner and operator, Standard Solar will oversee the performance and maintenance of all eight solar sites. Ensuring operational reliability is critical in community solar projects, where subscribers depend on consistent power generation to receive bill credits.
Eric Partyka, Director of Business Development at Standard Solar, explained that the company’s role is to ensure the solar facilities operate efficiently over their entire lifecycle. By maintaining disciplined operations and monitoring system performance, the company aims to deliver consistent energy output and dependable savings for subscribers.
Partyka added that bringing projects into operation quickly is one of the most important milestones for community solar programs because it enables immediate financial and environmental benefits.
Subscriber Enrollment and Community Impact
Customer enrollment is being led by Solstice, which works directly with residents to help them join community solar programs and start receiving savings on their electricity bills.
According to project leaders, thousands of New Mexico residents have already signed up to participate in the solar farms included in the portfolio. These subscribers are now receiving credits linked to energy generated locally by the solar facilities.
Sandhya Murali, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer at Perch Energy and former CEO of Solstice, noted that the program has already begun delivering real financial benefits to households. Many families are seeing reduced electricity costs thanks to locally generated clean power.
Murali also highlighted that the projects still have capacity to enroll approximately 2,500 additional households, creating opportunities for more residents to participate in the months ahead.
Opportunities for Residents
Although many subscriptions have already been filled, households in New Mexico still have the opportunity to join the program while space remains available. Residents can check their eligibility and enroll through the Solstice platform, allowing them to start receiving bill credits without installing rooftop solar panels.
Community solar programs are particularly beneficial for renters, apartment dwellers, and homeowners with unsuitable rooftops, providing an alternative pathway to participate in renewable energy initiatives.
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