Major gas, solar and storage plans unveiled in two US states

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Solar expansion plays a

Utilities in New Mexico and Tennessee have both released plans for new solar, storage and gas infrastructure.

The New Mexico plan is more immediate as it is linked to the closure of the San Juan coal power station in June 2022. The utility PNM has asked the state’s regulator to approve “the securitisation of the unrecovered investment in the plant” and backing for replacement infrastructure.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

It has suggested 280MW of gas peaker plants, 350MW of solar and 130MW of battery storage.

The plan is the result of PNM’s modelling. Compared to the continuation of operations at San Juan it expects to save customers US$7.11 per month in 2023.

“Each step we take toward 100% emissions-free must balance the cost, the environment, and reliability,” said Pat Vincent-Collawn, chairman, president and CEO, PNM Resources the parent company of utility PNM. “The San Juan replacement plan we put forth will not only save customers money but will have one of the largest solar facilities in the US and one of the highest percentages of battery storage anywhere in the country.”

Meanwhile, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has filed its latest Integrated Resource Plan. The utility’s 20-year plan includes up to 2.4GW of energy storage by 2028 and up to 5.3GW by 2038. It suggests a range of 1.5-8.0GW of new solar capacity by 2028 and 14GW by 2038.

The rollout of that energy storage pipeline will be dependent on the cost reductions achieved in the sector. The IRP states: “The trajectory and timing of additions will be highly dependent on the evolution of storage technologies.”

The figures include utility-scale and distributed solar and storage installs as appropriate. While various scenarios were mapped out, “solar expansion plays a substantial role in all futures”, according to TVA.

“The 2019 IRP emphasises the importance of flexibility in our generation in response to the changing energy marketplace,” said Laura Campbell, TVA vice president of enterprise planning. “TVA looked at a wide range of possible futures, and flexibility is important in every case to ensure a reliable power supply.”

As well as planned coal closures, a further 2.2GW of coal capacity is being considered for retirement.

Gas-fired additions will be dependent on the scale of solar deployment with up to 8.6GW of peaker capacity could be built. As such as 9.8GW of combined cycle gas could also be built by 2038.

The combination of solar and storage is increasingly competitive with gas generation.

US solar and storage prospects amid a changing policy landscape will take centre stage at Solar Media's Solar & Storage Finance USA, to be held in New York on 29-30 October 2019

7 October 2025
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
PV Tech has been running an annual PV CellTech Conference since 2016. PV CellTech USA, on 7-8 October 2025 is our third PV CellTech conference dedicated to the U.S. manufacturing sector. The events in 2023 and 2024 were a sell out success and 2025 will once again gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing in the U.S. out to 2030 and beyond.
21 October 2025
New York, USA
Returning for its 12th edition, Solar and Storage Finance USA Summit remains the annual event where decision-makers at the forefront of solar and storage projects across the United States and capital converge. Featuring the most active solar and storage transactors, join us for a packed two-days of deal-making, learning and networking.
16 June 2026
Napa, USA
PV Tech has been running PV ModuleTech Conferences since 2017. PV ModuleTech USA, on 16-17 June 2026, will be our fifth PV ModulelTech conference dedicated to the U.S. utility scale solar sector. The event will gather the key stakeholders from solar developers, solar asset owners and investors, PV manufacturing, policy-making and and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out the PV module supply channels to the U.S. out to 2027 and beyond.

Read Next

June 30, 2025
Heliene has completed the sale of Section 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Tax Credits in association with Minnesota-based U.S. Bank.
June 30, 2025
Voting on the US tax reconciliation bill is expected to begin in the Senate today, following a draft published on Friday that hit clean energy tax credits hard.
June 30, 2025
US clean energy developer Clearway Energy Group has received corporate credit facilities over US$1 billion.
June 26, 2025
A round-up of news from the US solar sector this week, including Akuo, Meta and RWE.
June 26, 2025
A group of minority shareholders in Norwegian silicon firm REC Silicon has triggered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the closure of the company’s US polysilicon production site.
June 26, 2025
Adapture Renewables and Meta have signed two EAPAs that will see the latter acquire power from a 360MW Texas solar portfolio.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
July 2, 2025
Bangkok, Thailand
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece