Solar power plant in New Mexico, United States of America. Approximate location 34.5826, -106.683.
SolarNew MexicoUnited States of America
Rio Communities Solar Energy Center is a 10 MW solar power plant in New Mexico, United States of America. It is operated by PNM Resources. Based on reported annual generation of 24 GWh, it can supply roughly 6,885 homes. It ranks #4663 of 9,833 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2016, it is around 10 years old — relatively modern. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, solar supplies about 8.6% of United States of America's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0060198.
Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Operated by PNM Resources. All plants by this company →
This solar plant converts sunlight directly into electricity with photovoltaic panels. It sits in a cold semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSk) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 34.6°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
Heating degree-days here run 2% below the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.
Climate heat-demand index: 49/100 — this site sits in the mid third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.
In colder climates, uninsulated hot equipment (boilers, turbines, valves, steam lines) loses proportionally more heat to ambient air — exactly the loss Inzonex modular insulation is designed to cut.
Solar PV loses ~0.35%/°C above 25°C cell temperature — roughly 0.0% at warm-season highs here (estimate).
Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.
The #606 largest solar power plant of 3283 in United States of America by capacity.
United States of America has 3283 solar power plants in this dataset, together about 37,970 MW of capacity.
Coordinates 34.5826, -106.683 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
