Mission
The New Mexico Wind Working Group is a collaborative group of individuals, professionals, and wind industry participants who have assembled to promote the development of wind energy in the state. The purpose of the group is to discuss, develop, and implement the tasks and methodologies that will hasten the development of wind energy in New Mexico. The group's objective is to promote environmental protection and boost economic development within the state through the use of wind energy and to foster the increased use of wind-generated electricity by the energy generators and consumers of New Mexico. Activities of the New Mexico Wind Working Group are funded by the US Department of Energy and coordinated by the New Mexico Energy Conservation and Management Division.

Scope
The Wind Working Group promotes development of wind energy resources through small wind, community wind and utility-scale wind technology in New Mexico.

Participants
The Wind Working Group is open to any interested party that supports the group's mission. Participants are stakeholders in New Mexico wind power, such as government (local, state, and federal) agencies, utilities, cooperatives, developers, grass-roots and non-profit organizations, land owner associations, farmers, ranchers, tribal organizations, and environmental organizations.

About Wind Working Groups
The U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Powering America (WPA) supports over 30 Wind Working Groups around the country. WPA activities include also include validated wind maps, anemometer loan programs, small wind guides, wind for schools, exhibits, and workshops/Webcasts.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

November 15, 2010 - A meeting was held in Santa Fe with presentations on small wind energy systems and a discussion of possible legislative initiatives and government policies to advance wind power development. A list of meeting participants is here. The presentations may be viewed here. The group compiled a memo with a list of key policies, incentives and recommendations for advancing wind energy development for New Mexico; the memo and list may be downloaded here.

July 28, 2009 - This quarterly meeting was held in Roswell and featured presentations from Sandia National Labs, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and an environmental consultant firm. Wind Powering America and ECMD hosted the meeting. A list of the 31 participants is here. The presentations may be downloaded here.

April 28, 2009 - The group gathering in Santa Fe for a quarterly meeting, 31 people showed up representing federal, state, regional, local and tribal governments, developers, lawyers, media, public interest groups, a national laboratory, and business. About half of the attendees were present at the previous quarterly meeting. The meeting agenda is here. A list of participants is here. Meeting notes are here.

January 20, 2009 – The group reconvened to engage in a round-table discussion of current issues impacting wind energy development in New Mexico. Thirty people attended representing the following organizations (a list of participants is here). The group discussed the need for siting guidelines that would aid New Mexico counties as some are moving to adopt wind ordinances. The transmission grid was discussed at length. A board member from the Renewable Energy Transmission Authority (RETA) provided a briefing on current RETA activities. Meeting notes are here.

Resources
Wind Capacity and Wind Project Locations
Summary of Report on Potential for Mid-scale Distributed Wind
Small Wind Turbine Independent Testing