Electrical cooperative in New Mexico gets $96.5 million federal grant to use renewable energy to create a storage medium from water.
Luis Reyes Jr., CEO of Kit Carson Electric Cooperative, is spearheading a groundbreaking green hydrogen project in northern New Mexico, aiming to utilize the now-closed molybdenum mine in Questa. With the help of a $96.5 million federal grant, Reyes plans to build a green hydrogen facility that will use renewable electricity to power an electrolyzer, producing hydrogen from water extracted from the abandoned mine. This hydrogen will act as long-term energy storage, lasting four to six times longer than the cooperative’s current lithium-ion battery system. Reyes is confident that the project, expected to break ground in 2027, will help the cooperative reduce its carbon emissions and bolster its energy independence, following its earlier successes in renewable energy initiatives, including achieving 100% daytime solar energy coverage for its service area.
The project also holds promise for economic revitalization in the village of Questa, which has suffered since the mine’s closure in 2014. While the green hydrogen facility will only employ around 20 people, Mayor John Anthony Ortega sees this as a key opportunity to redefine the town from an old mining community to a new energy hub. Additionally, the initiative will include hydrogen plants at nearby Taos and Picuris pueblos, further integrating green technology into the region’s economy. Kit Carson Electric, known for its pioneering efforts in renewable energy, continues to push boundaries with this project, which is among the first of its kind in the U.S.
