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A-6 THE NEW MEXICAN Saturday, September 18, 2010

PNM plans
LOCAL NEWS to reduce
Permeable parking, landscape changes planned on Santa Fe River trail
credits for
solar power
Cuts mean it may take longer for
sustainable systems to pay off
By Staci Matlock
The New Mexican

People in the process of putting a solar-energy


system on their home or business rooftops could end
up with less of an energy credit from Public Service
Company of New Mexico under a plan approved by
the Public Regulation Commission in mid-August.
The plan also doesn’t guarantee that the financial
landscape for solar purchasers and installers won’t
change again next year, something renewable-energy
advocates had hoped would change.
PNM annually must present a plan to regulators
stating how the company will meet its state-required
renewable-energy goals. “We hoped to provide a
little certainty in the agreement because, as business
owners, we make certain commitments,” said Randy
Sadewic, general manager of Positive Energy, a solar-
energy installation business in Santa Fe. “We can’t do
this based on short-term incentives.”
Ironically, an agreement hammered out by PNM,
renewable-energy businesses and advocates that
was intended to provide certainty didn’t meet with
approval from attorney general or PRC staff, and was
changed, Sadewic said.
Last year, when PNM filed its annual renewable-
energy plan, to take effect in 2010, solar advocates
Maggie Ryan, left, and Chrissy Scarpitti, both from Santa Fe and designers at the Surroundings firm, hang out at a parking spot on opposed it. “The plan focused primarily on larger
Alameda Street on Friday. The spot is fitted temporarily with porous bricks for renovation of the trail. LUIS SÁNCHEZ SATURNO/THE NEW MEXICAN (utility scale) wind farms. There was no solar in it,”
said Cathy Garber, a PNM spokeswoman. “There

Creative renovation
was so much controversy over it, we decided to take
another look.”
PNM met with Sadewic and other solar-industry
representatives, the Coalition for Clean and Afford-
able Energy, the cities of Santa Fe and Albuquerque,
and others for four months. The group finally agreed
on a plan submitted to the PRC in January. But
By Staci Matlock according to Sadewic and Garber, PRC staff thought
The New Mexican
RENDERING COURTESY SURROUNDINGS
PROPOSED TREATMENT the agreement was too costly and recommended
approval of only portions of it. “We, of course, don’t

D
1. Surface run-off from upper urban
rivers on Alameda watershed flows into stormwater inlets. believe it was too expensive,” Sadewic said.
Street near downtown 2. Street surfaces carry high quantities Under the plan, individual and business owners who
Santa Fe did a double of water and untreated pollutants to put in 10-kilowatt solar-energy systems after Aug. 27
take as they neared a inlets. will still receive a net metering credit from PNM for the
metered parking space in front of 3. Lateral inlet diverts low flows of electricity their systems produce. They’ll also receive a
water and pollutants away.
Del Charro Saloon at the Inn of 4. Riparian parkland carries surface run-
renewable-energy credit, but less than before.
the Governors. off into swales to slow flow, clean water. Under the old plan, residential solar-energy sys-
Some landscape architects 5. Reduction of pollutants and high veloc- tems tied to PNM’s grid receive about a 12-cent credit
hired by the city had converted ity water flows entering river through per kilowatt hour. Small commercial businesses
the lot into a temporary “park,” infiltration as well as traditional drains. receive 11 to 14 cents per kilowatt hour.
complete with two pear trees, Existing systems or systems smaller than 10 kilo-
brick paving, various potted watts and already under contract will be grand-
native grasses and three patio fathered in and continue to receive those credits.
chairs. It was an opportunity for “People who are already in the small and large solar
architects from the Surroundings program won’t be affected,” Garber said. “Their pay-
firm to educate passers-by about ments won’t change under their existing contracts.”
planned renovations on the The new plan creates a tiered system under which
urban trail that runs along the the renewable-energy credit payments are reduced. Sys-
Santa Fe River from East Palace tems 10 kilowatts and larger under contract since Aug.
Avenue to St. Francis Drive. 27 will lose a penny a kilowatt hour from the renewable-
“We are proposing a number energy credit under the recently approved plan, Garber
of new green infrastructure Santa Fe Riparian Roadway Urban said. Owners can file a petition with the PRC within
standards within the parkway to River Channel ‘terrace’ watershed 60 days of the plan’s Aug. 31 approval date to have their
slow, treat and release stormwa- systems grandfathered in under the old rates.
ter in lieu of direct outflow into While a few pennies doesn’t sound like much, those
the Santa Fe River,” said Ken- firm’s newest landscape architect. and cleaning it up naturally and Girls Club; along DeVargas add up to thousands of dollars on a 10-kilowatt system
neth Francis, who founded the The architects will use vari- before dumping it into the river. Park; the historic area between over several years, Sadewic said. That can add a couple
firm along with his wife, Sandra ous stormwater designs to slow The historic stone curb on Alam- Don Gaspar and Old Santa Fe of years to the time it takes for a renewable-energy sys-
Donner, and Faith Okuma. “One the flow and clean up the water eda between Don Gaspar Avenue Trail; and along El Alamo area. tem to pay for itself. What bothers him is that the PRC
example is through permeable before it enters the river. In some and Old Santa Fe Trail will be The work will include an ADA allowed PNM to make the plan retroactive by a week.
parking spaces along Alameda portions they’ll line the path and reconfigured to leave a few small accessible path from Delgado In addition, the way the new renewable-energy
that will allow stormwater to parking spaces with brick laid gaps where the water can seep Street to Palace Avenue. “Right order is structured will provide incentives for only
infiltrate through the soil before over an 18-inch gravel-filled bed. over to the river. Heritage fruit now, it’s just a dirt path,” Francis about a year and a half to people who want to install
flowing into the river.” The brick and gravel will slow tree varieties will be planted said. a small solar-energy system, Sadewic said. “We’re
A primary goal of the renova- down stormwater and filter it along the river trail in addition to On Friday, Ryan said the park- back in the place of living year to year,” he said. “That
tion is to make better use of the into the soil, allowing it to reach other native vegetation. ing space “park” had attracted a makes it more difficult to make longer-term invest-
stormwater that normally rushes some of the roots of riverside The city of Santa Fe contracted lot of attention through the day. ments and decisions.”
down streets and shoots into trees growing deep under the with Surroundings to design the “Drivers are doing double and Sadewic said overall the plan approved by the PRC
the Santa Fe River at constricted paved streets. Parque del Rio in 2009. They plan triple takes,” she said. Park(ing) is acceptable, but he thinks it places too low a cap on
points, causing erosion and The designers will create small to go out for bid on the construc- Day is a national event where the number of smaller solar photovoltaic and thermal
dumping dirty, oil-tainted water diversions they call stormwa- tion work at the end of October parking spaces are converted to systems that can be installed.
into the riverbed. “Stormwater ter acequias, designed to loop and will focus on four main promote urban green spaces.
is a problem for the river right around native trees and shrubs, areas along a two and a half mile Contact Staci Matlock at 986-3055 or smatlock@
now,” said Maggie Ryan, the again slowing stormwater flow stretch of the trail: near the Boys Contact Staci Matlock at 986-3055. sfnewmexican.com.

Albuquerque man held in van’s theft from gas station


Owner left keys in Within an hour,
however, Santa Fe
station he saw a man and woman on
Airport Road trying to flag him down
cated (and) had trouble standing.”
Police later identified the woman
(Vigil) was not seen in actual control
of the motor vehicle when he was
vehicle, police say County sheriff’s dep- for a ride. as Victoria Rodriguez. As investiga- located, he was not charged with
uties found the stolen He ignored them, pulled up to pump tors were questioning her, the report DWI.”
By Geoff Grammer van and arrested No. 1, put some gas in his van and went said, an eyewitness to the auto theft He is being held in the Santa Fe
The New Mexican 36-year-old Chris inside the business to pay the clerk, directed police to the nearby Riverside County jail in lieu of a $10,000 bond.
Vigil of Albuquer- leaving his keys inside his vehicle. Park mobile home park, where the sto- Rodriguez, according to the police
A 59-year-old Santa Fe man will que, charging him When he came back, the report says, len van was found. report, was uncooperative and
likely think twice about leaving his Chris
with unlawful taking “he saw his vehicle driving off with a As deputy Cebada approached the “extremely intoxicated” but wasn’t
keys in his vehicle next time he pays Vigil of a motor vehicle male subject driving off leaving the van, which was parked near a swim- charged with any crime and was given
for gas. and driving with a woman he had seen waving for a ride.” ming pool in the mobile-home park, a ride home by a deputy.
When he did that on Thursday revoked license. Before Deputy Gabriel Cebada made Chris Vigil was seen running away.
afternoon at the Shell station at 7510 According to a police report, the van’s it to the gas station, he came across a When he was detained by police, they Contact Geoff Grammer at 986-3076 or
Airport Road, in southwest Santa Fe, owner stopped for gas shortly after 1 woman who was “in the middle of the found the van’s keys in his pocket. ggrammer@sfnewmexican.com. Read
his 1998 Dodge van was stolen. p.m. Thursday and as he pulled into the roadway and was extremely intoxi- The incident report states “since his blog at santafecrime.com.

400 Facts Today’s question: What place established


by whom in 1610 has been and still is a
Yesterday’s question: The Yom Kippur holiday was first formally
observed in Santa Fe when?
on Santa Fe physical, commercial, social, and cultural Answer: In 1860, a Yom Kippur service was first held in Santa Fe at the home of
Levi Spiegelberg.
Courtesy of the 400th center in Santa Fe?
To learn more about this topic, read New Mexico: A Brief Multi-History,
Anniversary Committee Check back tomorrow for the answer. by Ruben Marquez, Cosmic House, 2005.

Section editor: Howard Houghton, 986-3015, hhoughton@sfnewmexican.com Design and headlines: Elizabeth Herrera Lauer, ehlauer@sfnewmexican.com BREAKING NEWS AT WWW.SANTAFENEWMEXICAN.COM

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