Dirt is being leveled in three New Mexico counties as the state's largest electric provider prepares to install thousands of solar panels.
PNM says its planned solar power centers in Valencia, Cibola and Sandoval counties will be capable of producing enough electricity to meet the needs of 8,900 average residential customers.
The solar centers will cost about $48 million to construct. The largest one, the Meadowlake energy center east of Los Lunas, will be made up of more than 122,000 solar panels.
PNM already has eight utility-scale solar centers in operation. Four more centers are planned for next year.
The utility says that by 2016, its solar centers will be capable of generating enough electricity for 40,000 average residential customers for a year.
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