Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy

New Mexico Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy

New Mexico's Wind Power Resource

New Mexico ranks in the big leagues with respect to wind power, having the twelve largest resource in the USA (much greater than California's resource - see the table below). The resource was estimated by a Pacific National Laboratory to be capable of providing roughly 435 billion kwh annually, enough to power 40 million households:

THE TOP TWENTY U.S. STATES FOR WIND ENERGY POTENTIAL
as measured by annual energy potential in the billions of kWh, factoring in environmental and land use exclusions for wind class of 3 and higher.
Rank	State	B kWh	Rank	State	B kWh
1	North Dakota	1,210	11	Colorado	481
2	Texas	1,190	12	New Mexico	435
3	Kansas	1,070	13	Idaho	73
4	South Dakota	1,030	14	Michigan	65
5	Montana	1,020	15	New York	62
6	Nebraska	868	16	Illinois	61
7	Wyoming	747	17	California	59
8	Oklahoma	725	18	Wisconsin	58
9	Minnesota	657	19	Maine	56
10	Iowa	551	20	Missouri	52

Compare this to New Mexico's total electricity use of about 6 billion kwh/yr! The U.S. Department of Energy has a New Mexico Wind Resource Map. The New Mexico Energy Conservation and Management Division has developed a much more refined evaluation of New Mexico's wind resource, and also materials for developers.