Kit Carson Electric Cooperative (KCEC) is collaborating with Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to develop a hydrogen microgrid in Northern New Mexico. This project, backed by federal funding awarded in January 2025, aims to enhance energy reliability for 30,000 customers in the Questa area.
KCEC, already powered 100% by solar energy, is adding a hydrogen fuel-cell plant and advanced microgrid battery storage system. The utility has been awarded $231 million to support the construction of a renewable energy facility featuring green hydrogen and solar generation. The hydrogen facility is expected to be completed by 2028.
The 104-megawatt hydrogen facility could supply power to approximately 25,000 homes and is projected to create 350 jobs. The project will utilize treated water from a DOE superfund site. Work on the battery storage system is scheduled to start in June 2025 and should be finished by summer 2026.