New Mexico shares part of Arizona's story, but the structure is different. Wind is already much larger, Four Corners concentrates the remaining coal question into one plant, and the 2026 project pipeline is dominated by a cross-state buildout with consequences beyond New Mexico alone.
New Mexico is not just another Arizona. Wind has become the biggest line in the current state mix, solar is still growing, and the coal story is increasingly about what happens at Four Corners and what the pipeline means for the state's next phase.
In 2025, wind is the largest fuel among the main lines tracked on the page. Coal still matters, but the state's transition story is increasingly about how wind, solar, and long-distance export infrastructure reshape what comes next.
Four Corners sits in New Mexico but matters to Arizona's story, and SunZia is too large to read as a purely one-state project.
New Mexico's coal story is more concentrated than Arizona's. The current operating workbook shows Four Corners as the remaining coal plant, which makes the page easier to read but also increases the importance of getting the retirement and replacement context right.
| Plant | Coal MW | EIA retirement timing | Transition context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Four Corners | 1,636.2 MW | Both remaining operating coal units show planned retirement in December 2031 in the May 2026 operating sheet. | New Mexico's remaining coal story is now concentrated in one plant. Local coal notes frame Four Corners as exposed to replacement pressure from major clean-resource buildouts such as Zia/SunZia rather than a simple one-for-one replacement path. |
Through April, New Mexico wind and solar are both ahead of last year's pace. Coal is also materially higher because early-2026 coal output was elevated before the April decline.
| Project | Technology | Capacity | Status | Timing | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SunZia Wind South | Wind | 2,561.2 MW | Operating | May 2026 | Moved into the May 2026 operating sheet, making it one of the dominant live additions in New Mexico's 2026 story. |
| SunZia Wind North | Wind | 1,089 MW | Operating | May 2026 | Pairs with SunZia South as a now-operating cross-state resource story rather than only a planned project. |
| Santa Teresa Solar | Solar + battery | 150 MW solar + 150 MW battery | Late-stage | June-July 2026 planned | A cleaner example of New Mexico's solar-plus-storage expansion than a generic project list would provide. |
| Carne Energy Storage | Battery storage | 130 MW | Operating | April 2026 | Now visible in the May 2026 operating sheet, showing that New Mexico's 2026 story is not just wind. |
EIA data provides the structured baseline, and curated project context is added only where it helps explain the state story more clearly.
Return to the regional view that connects Arizona and New Mexico as two different but related Western transition stories.
Open Western Grid