SFCC President Becky Rowley, Ph.D., spoke about the significance of the microgrid at the microgrid launch celebration. Courtesy photo

SFCC officials, industry partners, state and community leaders celebrated the microgrid launch on June 2, 2026. Courtesy photo

SFCC News:

SANTA FE — Santa Fe Community College celebrated the completion and launch of its campus microgrid June 2, marking the culmination of more than a decade of planning, partnership and investment in resilience, sustainability and community preparedness.

College leaders, elected officials, state representatives and project partners gathered at the college’s Health & Sciences Building to celebrate the milestone and recognize the many individuals and organizations that helped bring the project to fruition.

The SFCC Microgrid strengthens the college’s ability to support critical campus operations while advancing clean energy infrastructure and long-term stewardship of public resources. Developed through a collaboration involving Santa Fe Community College, Siemens, Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM), Santa Fe County, the New Mexico Higher Education Department, the New Mexico Finance Authority, the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, state legislators and local taxpayers, the project reflects years of vision, innovation and persistence.

“This marks a really important milestone for Santa Fe Community College and for our entire community,” SFCC President Becky Rowley said.

Rowley said the project demonstrates what can happen when institutions, government agencies and private-sector partners work together toward a shared vision.

“The project reflects what can be accomplished when education, industry, government and community partners work together toward a common goal,” Rowley said. “This project is about resilience, stewardship and preparedness. It strengthens our ability to serve students, support our community and responsibly manage resources for years to come.”

The project’s roots stretch back more than a decade to early conversations among college leaders, state agencies and industry partners. Under former SFCC President Randy Grissom, the college began exploring how renewable energy, resiliency and long-term stewardship could become part of its future at a time when microgrid technology was still emerging in higher education.

What began as a long-range vision ultimately grew into one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in the college’s history, bringing together public agencies, elected officials, utility partners, engineers and community stakeholders in a shared effort to strengthen the college’s energy future.

Harold Trujillo, P.E., of the Energy Conservation and Management Division (ECAM) at the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, noted that the agency reviewed and certified the project’s investment-grade audit under the Public Facilities Energy Efficiency and Water Conservation Act and provided technical assistance throughout the construction process.

“You now have the largest and most advanced microgrid on a New Mexico college or university,” Trujillo said. “Your site could handle a long-term state or national emergency.”

The microgrid combines existing solar resources, battery energy storage, advanced controls and backup generation technology to help the college better manage energy resources while maintaining reliable campus operations. The system supports continuity of operations, strengthens campus resilience and complements the college’s broader commitment to sustainability and responsible stewardship of resources.

Santa Fe County Commissioner Camilla Bustamante reflected on the significance of the project and SFCC’s reputation for innovation.

“This community college gets brought up every time I’m in the room,” Bustamante said. “This is a real project that will make a real difference nationally.”

Bustamante noted that projects such as the microgrid demonstrate the importance of investing in diverse and locally supported energy systems.

“The more diverse and local a system is, the more resilient it will be,” she said.

SFCC Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer Nick Telles highlighted the innovative financing approach that helped make the project possible. Through energy performance contracting, infrastructure improvements can be financed over time through energy savings generated by modernizing aging systems and improving operational efficiency.

Telles said the project required years of collaboration among public agencies, financing partners, engineers, contractors and college leadership.

“Working on this project over all these years has been one of the most exciting projects of my career,” Telles said. “This project has brought together many different people and organizations to create something really beneficial for our community.”

Representatives from Siemens, including Dean Gakos, Project Developer, and Monte Montgomery, Project Manager, discussed the technical evolution of the project and the role microgrids are playing nationwide in improving reliability, sustainability and cost management.

“The first conversations about a microgrid at Santa Fe Community College began nearly a decade ago,” Gakos said. It’s exciting to still be here and especially exciting to be here for the launch of the project.”

Gakos said microgrids help institutions better manage energy resources while improving reliability and maximizing the use of renewable energy technologies.

“Ultimately, the project supports lower costs, improved reliability and reduced emissions,” he said.

Representing PNM, Jon Hawkins, Associate Director of Grid Modernization, emphasized the collaborative nature of the effort and the importance of partnerships in addressing the future of energy infrastructure.

“This is truly an innovative project within the State of New Mexico,” Hawkins said. Hawkins noted that projects of this scale require long-term cooperation among utilities, engineers, regulators, institutions and community leaders.

“We can achieve so much more when we combine efforts,” Hawkins said. “That’s what we mean when we say we are powering New Mexico together.”