In short: Santa Fe is one of PNM’s High Fire Risk Areas, where the utility can shut power off for up to 48 hours in extreme fire weather. PNM homes paid about 15.6¢ per kWh in 2024, and each kW of panels here makes roughly 1,590 kWh a year, so solar with a battery suits the city well.
Below: what wildfire season means for backup power in Santa Fe, how PNM credits solar, why historic districts and the escarpment add a step to permits, and what county homes on co-op lines should know. For statewide rules, including the 10% state solar and battery tax credit and contractor licensing, see our New Mexico energy guide.
Santa Fe at a glance
- Utilities: PNM serves the city; its homes paid about 15.6¢ per kWh on average in 2024, all charges included (EIA-861, 2024). Parts of Santa Fe County are on co-ops: Jemez Mountains Electric (15.4¢) and Central New Mexico Electric (17.2¢).
- Outages (2024): PNM customers averaged 279 minutes without power with major events and 124 without them. Jemez Mountains Electric members averaged 1,877 minutes, about 31 hours, and nearly five interruptions.
- Sun: 5.43 kWh per square meter per day, from 2.9 in December to 7.8 in June (NASA POWER, 2001–2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,590 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Top hazards: FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Santa Fe County’s overall risk “relatively moderate,” with wildfire, winter weather and lightning each “relatively high.”
- Public charging: 167 ports at 79 locations in Santa Fe (AFDC, October 2026).
Your utility and what it means
PNM (city of Santa Fe and much of the area around it):
- Solar credits: under PNM’s net metering rules, systems with an inverter of 10 kW-AC or less bank monthly surplus as kWh credits that never expire. Larger systems are paid each month at PNM’s Rate 12, which is lower than retail.
- Timeline: PNM says a new solar application takes about six months on average to process. It requires advanced inverters, works with no installer and warns against door-to-door “$0 solar” pitches (Customer Solar Program).
- Rates: the average PNM home bill rose about $6.23 a month on April 1, 2026, the second step of a rate change approved in 2025 (Public Regulation Commission).
- EV programs: charger and installation rebates and a cheaper overnight rate (see EV charging below).
Co-ops (parts of Santa Fe County): Jemez Mountains Electric and Central New Mexico Electric set their own net metering and interconnection rules. Ask yours for its current tariff before you sign a solar contract; we could not confirm their terms.
Backup power in Santa Fe
PNM lists Santa Fe, along with Tesuque and Cochiti Pueblos and Las Vegas, as a High Fire Risk Area. In dry, windy weather it can run a Public Safety Power Shutoff, switching lines off so they cannot start a fire. PNM says shutoffs last from a few hours up to 48 hours. In recent fire seasons, PNM’s own releases show both tools in use:
- March 6, 2025: with extreme wind forecast, PNM did not plan a shutoff in Santa Fe but changed settings so lines that tripped would not switch back on automatically. Crews had to inspect first, which makes outages longer.
- April 17, 2025: PNM shut off power in Las Vegas, about an hour’s drive east, from 11:30 a.m. to 10:10 p.m., affecting 2,256 customers at the peak.
Check status on PNM’s PSPS page, sign up for alerts by texting #REG and then #ALERT to 78766, and enroll in LifeWatch if someone at home uses powered medical equipment. For homes on Jemez Mountains lines, 2024’s outage record argues for planning around a full day or more without power.
- Battery or power station: silent and spark-free, which matters on a red-flag day. A portable power station covers medical devices, phones and Wi-Fi; a home battery with solar can recharge through a 48-hour shutoff on a clear day.
- Standby generator: covers winter storms and long rural outages. Keep it on bare ground or pavement, clear of dry brush, and store fuel safely. See generator installation.
Size your system with the battery backup calculator or the generator sizing tool, and compare options in our backup power guide. Run a generator outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house with exhaust pointed away, and keep carbon monoxide alarms inside (CPSC).
Solar in Santa Fe
At about 1,590 kWh per kW a year and PNM’s 2024 average of 15.6¢, each kW of panels is worth roughly $245 a year when its output replaces power you would buy (our estimate, not a quote). An average PNM home uses about 6,900 kWh a year, so about 4.3 kW would cover it on paper. December output is a little over a third of June’s, and banked credits carry spring and summer surplus into winter. On flat or parapet roofs, and in historic districts and the escarpment area, the permit rules below can affect where and how high panels sit.
Check your roof with the solar potential tool and the solar savings calculator, then read how solar installation works, what it costs and how net metering works.
Home batteries in Santa Fe
Because PNM’s small-system credits never expire, a battery here is about backup rather than bill savings, and Santa Fe’s place on PNM’s fire-risk list is the reason to want one. A battery that powers the fridge, lights, internet, a furnace fan and a well pump through a two-day shutoff is a realistic target. Winters are cold here, so place a garage battery within the maker’s temperature range. See battery costs and battery installation.
EV charging in Santa Fe
At about 30 kWh per 100 miles and 15.6¢, home charging costs roughly $4.70 per 100 miles, about $560 for 12,000 miles a year (an estimate). PNM’s charger rebate lists up to $500 toward a qualified Level 2 charger and up to $1,500 toward installation, with more for income-qualified homes. Its Whole Home EV pilot rate lowers the price from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Cold mornings cut range, so a Level 2 charger at home helps. It needs a 240-volt circuit and a permit, installed by a licensed electrician. See EV charger installation and the EV charging cost calculator.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Santa Fe: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
- City of Santa Fe (Land Use Department, Building Permit Division): the city publishes solar permit checklists. The roof-mounted checklist (revised 2020) requires Historic Preservation and Escarpment Overlay approval first where they apply. It aims to review complete plans in three business days. It asks for an engineer’s calculations if the roof was built before 1986 or the array is heavy. Systems over 15 kW need a licensed electrical engineer’s stamp, and the permit is issued only to a New Mexico licensed electrical contractor. Inspections cover rough-in, pre-final and final. Check the city’s current submittal process before you apply.
- Santa Fe County (outside city limits): Building and Development Services issues development permits and says it has reduced submittal requirements for home solar to encourage it.
Generators, batteries and EV chargers need electrical permits too. Your utility must approve interconnection before solar or a battery switches on. If you have an HOA, get its written approval before you sign.
Cities we cover
- Santa Fe
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Santa Fe energy questions
Is Santa Fe in a PNM power shutoff area?
Yes. PNM lists Santa Fe as a High Fire Risk Area, where it may shut off power during extreme fire weather. It says shutoffs can last up to 48 hours, and it warns customers by text, email and phone when it can. Sign up for alerts in your PNM account.
Can I put solar panels on a house in a Santa Fe historic district?
The city’s solar permit checklist requires Historic Preservation District approval before the building permit where it applies, and Escarpment Overlay approval in that district. Ask the city’s Historic Preservation Division early; panel placement and height may need to change.
Why do Jemez Mountains co-op members lose power so often?
Jemez Mountains Electric reported 1,877 outage minutes per member in 2024, about 31 hours, and 1,045 minutes even without major events. EIA data does not give causes, but members should plan backup for a day or more.
How much does solar make in Santa Fe?
Our rough estimate from NASA sun data is about 1,590 kWh per kW of panels a year, slightly less than Albuquerque. At PNM’s 2024 average price, that is worth about $245 per kW a year. Tilted, south-facing panels usually do better than this flat-surface figure.
Sources
EIA-861, 2024 (price = residential revenue ÷ sales; reliability; service territory); PNM Customer Solar Program, net metering, PSPS, EV rebate and WHEV pages, March 6, 2025 media advisory and April 17, 2025 release; New Mexico PRC customer notice, April 1, 2026; City of Santa Fe permit checklists (roof-mounted PV, revised March 2020); Santa Fe County Building and Development Services; NASA POWER, 2001–2020; FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025; AFDC; CPSC. Read October 2026. Estimates are ours and labelled.