New Mexico’s Kit Carson Electric Cooperative has launched a hydrogen safety assessment project in a bid to demonstrate the value of hydrogen as a dependable electricity source.
Kit Carson – which has been serving Taos, Colfax and Rio Arriba Counties since 1944 and has more than to 29,000 members – was granted federal funds in January to build the USA’s first hydrogen microgrid.
It is hoped the grid will help the co-op serve its 30,000 customers around Questa, New Mexico, with reliable energy. Kit Carson is currently 100% solar-powered, but hopes the a hydrogen fuel-cell plant and an advanced microgrid battery storage system will put it at the vanguard of new energy tech.
The co-op worked with Los Alamos National Laboratory on the grid, with support from the Communities Local Energy Action Program, a technical-assistance program run by the Department of Energy that partners utilities with national laboratory experts.
To meet the grid’s huge demand for water, the co-op plans to use the Chevron molybdenum mine, which closed in 2024 and needs a clean-up that pumps contaminated water through a treatment facility.
The co-op also held public meetings to gain support for the plan, promising a 104mW hydrogen facility that could provide energy for 25,000 homes and create 350 jobs.
Now it is running the hydrogen safety assessment project with Entrust Solutions Group, saying the plan “marks a significant step towards deploying sustainable, reliable, and affordable energy solutions for residents and businesses throughout the KCEC service territory”.
Entrust will help Kit Carson run safety risk assessments, with public consultation to address questions from co-op member-owners and community leaders.
Kit Carson says its strategic plan includes incorporating a diverse range of additional clean, renewable resources to transform its entire energy system into a fully renewable model.
CEO Luis Reyes recently joined a panel for a discussion at the New Mexico Energy Policy Symposium, which gathered leaders “to build collaborative networks, exchange ideas, and explore energy solutions that support the energy transition and energy policies needed to bring us into a just and sustainable future; working together to deliver a holistic energy transition”.
North Carolina
Kit Carson isn’t the only electric co-op to champion its sustainability efforts. At this year’s State Energy Conference, North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives shared lessons from their work with local community partners and organisations to improve service through innovative and sustainable tech.
Kristen Hole, innovative electrification specialist at Four County Electric Membership Corporation, joined a panel to discuss a partnership with James Sprunt Community College to set up a hydroponic smart farm pilot, Box to Bowl.
Hole said the project is a case study in how co-ops can foster agricultural resilience, energy awareness and workforce development — all in one initiative.
“Our voice matters because we often operate in rural and underserved areas where innovation and reliability are critical,” said Jason Lingle, director of energy solutions at Blue Ridge Energy. “Our representation ensures that our member-owners aren’t left out and that their energy needs are considered as part of broader industry planning and policy.”
Lingle joined a panel on rebuilding the grid for resilience, where he shared insights on the damage his co-op sustained during Hurricane Helene last fall. Measures to upgrade the system include a microgrid project planned for a hard-to-serve area of their system, which will add resiliency during future outages.
