Sixteen members of Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS) are further decarbonizing their energy portfolios by adding solar electricity from a new project in southeastern Utah.
The power will come from the Red Mesa Tapaha Solar Resource, a 66 MW solar PV facility to be located on the Navajo Nation in San Juan County.
UAMPS has entered into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Navajo Tribal Utility Authority Generation-Utah LLC, a subsidiary of the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA), on behalf of UAMPS members electing to participate in the project. The PPA between NTUA Generation and UAMPS provides for the delivery of solar energy for 25 years once the project comes online in June 2022.
The pricing starts at $23.15/MWh and escalates 2% per year. This pricing includes renewable energy credits.
NTUA says it has broad experience developing solar projects. It has deployed two utility-scale solar facilities within the last three years on the Navajo Nation and is in the process of developing additional solar resources on and off the reservation.
Returns from the solar projects are being used to keep NTUA’s electric rates low and to pay for the electrification of Navajo homes.
“This is a win-win project for UAMPS and NTUA customers,” notes Walter Haase, NTUA general manager. “UAMPS will have another low-cost clean energy product, and NTUA will be able to extend electricity to families who have been living without for many, many years.”
As a project-based consortium, UAMPS provides a variety of power supply, transmission and other services to 47 members, which include public power utilities in Utah, California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico and Wyoming.
