By utilizing the legacy grid infrastructure of a demolished coal plant and racing to secure regulatory signatures mere days ahead of federal permitting freezes, the Ute Mountain Ute tribe successfully stayed on track to break ground on its 170 MW solar-plus-storage asset while other developments stalled.
A 170 MW solar and 80 MW battery storage project has broken ground on tribal lands in northwest New Mexico, squeaking through a rapidly tightening federal regulatory environment that has halted other renewable developments across the United States.
Developed by D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments (DESRI), the Foxtail Flats Solar project represents the first phase of a broader planned development footprint capable of hosting up to 350 MW of solar and 350 MW of energy storage, which includes the 100 MW Four Mile Mesa co-located array. While the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe is headquartered in Colorado, the reservation itself spans state lines, placing this specific project site just across the border in neighboring New Mexico.
While the U.S. domestic solar sector grapples with severe project backlogs, developers of the Foxtail Flats asset secured critical federal approvals just days before sweeping policy shifts upended utility-scale permitting.
