Albuquerque is moving closer to its goal of powering all municipal operations with renewable energy. Sustainability Partners (SP), a Public Benefit Company, has partnered with the City of Albuquerque and Energy Systems Group (ESG) to deploy approximately 6 MW of solar energy generation across eight city facilities, closing the remaining gap toward the city's 100% renewable energy target for municipal operations.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held last week to mark the start of construction at the first two locations: the city's Eastside Animal Shelter and Highland Pool.

Under the arrangement, SP provides the capital and facilitates both the installation and the long-term care of the infrastructure. Once the solar installations are complete and available for use, the city will make monthly usage payments, while SP remains involved over the long term to support ongoing maintenance and asset performance.

"Our mission is to remove the biggest barriers public entities face when building the infrastructure their communities need: upfront capital, choosing the right equipment and long-term maintenance," said Adam Cain, CEO of Sustainability Partners. "With our Infrastructure as a Service model, Albuquerque doesn't have to choose between its priority capital projects and climate goals, and Sustainability Partners is always there to keep the infrastructure reliable and improving for the long term."

ESG designed a combination of rooftop and solar carport installations, expanding renewable energy generation while also creating shaded parking at several heavily used city facilities. In addition to the Eastside Animal Shelter and Highland Pool, installations are planned at the West Mesa Aquatic Center, Duke City BMX Park, Isotopes Park, the Ken Sanchez Transit Facility, the city's 911 Call Center and the Albuquerque International Sunport.

The Sunport installation will additionally include 10 electric vehicle chargers and battery energy storage to support critical electrical needs.

"Albuquerque is showing what it means to lead and move with purpose toward 100% renewable energy," said Jeff Blum, CEO of Energy Systems Group. "We're proud to stand with the City as it builds a cleaner, brighter future for its residents."

The project marks SP's first major undertaking with Albuquerque, while ESG has previously partnered with the city to modernize critical energy infrastructure and advance its energy goals. Construction at the remaining sites will phase in through 2027.

"This is a different approach to how we think about clean energy," said Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller. "We're using every tool available to get more clean energy on the ground without putting the entire cost of building and maintaining these systems on taxpayers."

This report is based on a news item from Sustainability Partners published by Solar Power World.