EDF power solutions North America and El Paso Electric have officially commenced commercial operations at the Milagro Energy Center, a solar and storage facility located in Doña Ana County, New Mexico. With a capacity of 150 megawatts (MW) direct current, combined with a 75 MW alternating current battery energy storage system operating over four hours, the facility will supply electricity to the local grid under a 20-year power purchase agreement.
An infrastructure designed for demand management
The Milagro Solar+Storage project captures solar energy generated during peak sunlight hours and releases it on demand through battery storage. This setup helps meet increasing electricity needs during high-demand periods while improving grid stability. The infrastructure is built to mitigate curtailment, manage evening ramp-ups, and optimise the balance between generation and usage.
A large-scale project with local impact
The construction phase engaged around 200 workers at its peak, including 100 New Mexico residents. Blattner Energy, the contractor responsible for delivering the project, installed 282,000 solar panels, totalling 300,000 work hours with no recorded safety incidents. Over its operational lifetime, the project is expected to generate approximately $18mn in tax revenue for the county and its school districts, supported by the Industrial Revenue Bond mechanism.
Strategic regional development
The Milagro launch follows the commissioning, in March 2025, of a separate 10 MW solar plant in San Elizario, Texas, under the Texas Community Solar Program. Both projects form part of El Paso Electric’s broader regional strategy to enhance network resilience amid growing electricity demand across the southern United States.
Economic and energy benefits for 60,000 households
According to the project’s developers, Milagro is expected to provide reliable energy for approximately 60,000 average New Mexico households. The integration of battery storage adds operational flexibility to the solar production. This technology pairing enables more stable electricity delivery in a region facing extreme weather fluctuations and continuous demographic growth.
