The Clean Energy Coalition for Santa Fe County (CECSFC) is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization. – The CECSFC Executive Board and Steering Committee are from various careers: we are doctors, nurses, realtors, lawyers, engineers, environmental consultants, artists, and story tellers. But mostly we are just neighbors like you who have been brought together by these issues.
Our mission is to educate our community about large-scale renewable energy projects so together we can make informed decisions that protect our environment and keep our neighborhoods safe.
We believe that the for-profit, industrial-scale Rancho Viejo Solar Project proposed by the Virginia-based AES Corporation is not a good fit for Santa Fe for many reasons. – See: Q&A and Who is AES.
We oppose the AES Project, not because it is Solar and not because it has a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), but because it attempts to place Solar and BESS in a risky location without benefit to the community.
We support the development of solar power in New Mexico and believe we can meet our state’s solar power and storage goals with community and commercial projects that directly benefit our residents.
While our first priority remains preventing the AES project from being sited so close to our neighborhoods, our focus has expanded. Through our ongoing efforts to educate residents, local groups, and our officials, we also know how important it is to support renewable energy, and in particular solar power, when it is beneficial and safe for our communities. That is why we have started a discussion for a safe and viable alternative to the AES project. – See: Concept Paper
How CEC came about
In June of 2023 a few Rancho San Marcos residents came to Eldorado to inform our community about the AES project.
– See https://NMResponsible.com
At that meeting, an informal group called Keep Eldorado Safe was born. Leaders volunteered and a steering committee was formed. The group grew quickly. Later that summer over 100 volunteers distributed flyers to over 3,000 homes in Eldorado and surrounding areas.
– See article in Eldorado Greet
In October of 2023 we filed with the State of New Mexico and the IRS to form the nonprofit Clean Energy Coalition for Santa Fe County which clearly established our standing with local governments, and better reflected our mission.
By November 2023 our email list comprised over 500 residents.