Escalante PV project commences operations

Origis Energy and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association have announced that Escalante Solar has reached commercial operation. Located on the site of the former 253 MWac coal-fired Escalante Station near Grants, N.M., retired in 2020, the solar project began generating carbon-free electricity on June 1, 2024. The project delivers 200 MWac of clean solar power, serving approximately 63,000 homes under a power purchase agreement with Origis Energy. Announced in 2020 as part of Tri-State’s Responsible Energy Plan, it is the largest solar project in Tri-State’s portfolio. Local stakeholders, including Gridworks and Array Technologies from Albuquerque, contributed to the project’s success, employing around 400 people.