By Kevin Hendricks
Despite fervent opposition from local residents, the Sandoval County Commission last week gave the green light to a controversial solar power and battery storage development in the East Mountains.
The 3-2 vote on Feb. 18 approved a zoning request that allows the Diamond Tail solar and storage project to proceed. The Diamond Tail project is located off of New Mexico Highway 14, which is a scenic byway known as the Turquoise Trail. It would be located in a small pocket of Sandoval County in the East Mountains.
The meeting on Diamond Tail drew a large crowd in commission chambers. Opponents, including representatives from the Turquoise Trail Regional Alliance and the East Mountain Protection Alliance Coalition, voiced concerns about fire risk, habitat damage, and impacts to nearby homes and the Turquoise Trail.
“We think the battery storage facility as designed and planned is too risky. It’s unsafe, and the proposed location is totally inappropriate,” said Bill Parsons, a physicist who spoke against the project. Parsons emphasized the potential for lithium battery fires, citing a documented history of such incidents and the unpredictable nature of these fires. He also raised concerns about habitat destruction, wildfire risks and the lack of adequate safety infrastructure.
The project, proposed by PCR Investments, is expected to generate 220 megawatts of solar power and 110 megawatts of battery storage on a 1,833-acre site. PCR Investments maintained that the development would be safe and secure.
“Solar energy is probably the most safe energy source right now and battery storage has made a lot of progress through the last few years,” said Mariano Brandi, a PCR official. The company also highlighted the project’s economic benefits, including an estimated $450 million investment in Sandoval County, 300 construction jobs, and 15 to 20 permanent jobs.
Sandoval County Fire Chief Eric Masterson stated that the project met or exceeded the minimum requirements for zoning change requests.
“From our perspective, they met, and if not exceeded, some of the minimum requirements we had for some of our other zoning change requests,” Masterson said.
He added that the county will continue to work with PCR to modify requirements and ensure adherence to state provisions.
Despite the approval, opposition remains strong.
“I think that the core issue here is that it’s the wrong site for a good project,” said East Mountain Protection Alliance Coalition President Dennis Kellogg. “This issue will likely proceed to litigation, and we will be using every tool we have to reverse it.”
The Diamond Tail solar project still faces several hurdles, including securing a power purchase agreement with an electric utility and approval from the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission.