Wind energy accounts for about 30% of New Mexico’s generation. At the end of 2021, New Mexico generated a little over 4,000 megawatts of wind power.
Legislation
In 2019, the governor of New Mexico signed legislation that requires rural electric cooperatives to receive at least half of their electricity from renewable sources by the year 2030. This will increase to 80% by 2040.
Irving Power Association is committed to expanding renewable energy generation for our members while continuously delivering electricity to our communities. Our Bernalillo Wind Project was created in 2015.
Understanding Wind Power
- Each wind turbine consists of rotor blades
- Wind causes the blades to spin, which creates kinetic energy
- The blades rotating causes the nacelle to turn, which allows the generator to convert the kinetic energy into electrical energy
A typical wind turbine requires wind speeds of 7 to 9 miles per hours to operate. Anything higher than 55 miles per hour will cause the wind turbine to automatically shut off to prevent damage.
A percentage of birds are killed each year by wind turbines, however, that number is small compared to deaths by communication towers and power lines. Climate change is the biggest threat to birds and other wildlife; wind turbines are crucial to reducing greenhouse gases.