Clean Energy Coalition for Santa Fe County

05/01/2026

Today is the day! The preliminary District Court hearing in our fight against the County and AES is TODAY: Friday May 1, at 1pm - 2pm.

Link to listen virtually by computer:
meet.google.com/bbu-aujx-qfx

By phone, call 1-336-949-8079 and enter pin number 862702640 #

The court requests that you please mute yourself and turn off your camera if attending virtually and mute your phone if attending by phone.

04/23/2026

This Earth Day, we reflect on what it truly means to protect the land, water, and future of our communities here in Santa Fe County.

We all care about protecting the place we call home, but not all energy solutions are created equal. Large-scale battery storage projects bring real risks: including fire hazards, water demands, and potential impacts to nearby homes, air quality, and wells.

Across the country, communities are pausing, rethinking, and in some cases rejecting projects that don’t meet safety standards.

We deserve clean energy that is safe, well-planned, and appropriate for our region.

Pictured: Rancho Viejo and Eldorado — Santa Fe County communities near the proposed AES solar battery storage (BESS) facility.

03/31/2026

THERMAL RUNAWAY — HOW MUCH WATER IS REALLY NEEDED?

Recent battery storage facility fires help illustrate an important issue for Santa Fe County and the proposed AES battery storage project.

The County’s permit conditions require 60,000 gallons of water on site, intended to give firefighters time to bring in additional water if there is a fire. However, real incidents show that at typical firefighting flow rates, 60,000 gallons may only last about 40–50 minutes, not the “couple hours” many people assume.

Another important factor is response time. In some battery storage fires, firefighters arrived very quickly. In Santa Fe County, response times could be longer depending on location, staffing, and site access. If a fire grows before suppression begins, additional containers could enter thermal runaway.

These real incidents are worth watching to understand why water supply and response time are such important safety considerations for container-style battery storage facilities:

Video #1 – Boulder City, Nevada
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nns2GZqc6qI

Video #2 – Salt River Project, Arizona
https://www.azfamily.com/2025/10/02/multiple-agencies-fighting-fire-battery-storage-facility-glendale/

These examples help show how quickly thermal runaway can spread and how long water must be applied during these types of fires.

03/03/2026

FIREFIGHTERS SAY NO TO BESS NEXT TO THEIR STATIONS: Now even the firefighters don’t want these facilities near them. A labor union representing more than 3,200 Los Angeles County firefighters and emergency personnel is opposing the construction of a battery energy storage facility planned next to an active station.

“The siting of an ESS system next to an occupied fire station — where fire fighters work and reside 24 hours per day — constitutes an unacceptable, unsafe, and indefensible action that directly contradicts established fire protection engineering principles, firefighter safety standards and the intent of applicable codes,” stated a letter by David Gillotte, president of the Los Angeles County Firefighters IAFF (International Association of Fire Fighters) Local 1014.

The letter dated January 2, 2026 called for an immediate “cease-and-desist” of consideration or approval of any energy storage system facility adjacent to Fire Station 43 or residential occupancies.

02/17/2026

A COMPARISON: AES Rancho Viejo project and the new Linea Globemallow application submitted to Santa Fe County. Learn about these two solar and battery storage projects — pros and cons, including locations, surrounding population, batteries, solar panels, water, noise, wildlife, and economic factors.

Here’s what we know so far: cleanenergycoalitionsfc.org/aes-vs-linea

12/24/2025

Dear Friends & Neighbors,
In the new year we promise to update you on the Linea project, our lithium-ion battery research, and the latest maneuvers in the legal battle with the County and AES.

But for now we just want to wish you, your family, friends, and loved ones a wonderful holiday season and a great 2026!

As always we appreciate your continued interest and support.
-
Dayna, Lee, and the CEC Steering Committee
www.cleanenergycoalitionsfc.org

12/23/2025

Dear Friends & Neighbors:

As we all take a moment to enjoy the holidays, we just wanted you to know that last month we formally filed our appeal in District Court of the County’s decision to approve the AES project.

That means, under the fastest of circumstances it will be anywhere from 2-4 more months before the case is ready for the court to consider, a process which itself could take several months. So, we could be looking at late spring or summer of 2026 before anything meaningful or significant will happen. And there are plenty of things that could delay that even further.

The wheels of justice grind exceedingly slowly…

But know this, no matter how long it takes, we will fight this to the end and keep you posted as to how things develop throughout.

-

Clean Energy Coalition for Santa Fe County

cleanenergycoalitionsfc.org ||

11/13/2025

Plans for 'destructive' battery facility in Kent were just rejected amid 500 objections. Residents argued it threatened the natural ecosystem, damaged farmland, and created noise and light pollution. They also raised fire-safety concerns, risks to wildlife, and dangers to children from construction traffic on narrow lanes.

This decision in Kent highlights what we’ve been saying here in Santa Fe County: communities have the right to question unsafe siting and protect their health, land, and environment.

Pictured: Brabourne BESS objectors in August
Full Article: www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/plan-destructive-battery-facility-kent-10606583

11/08/2025

THANK YOU! We appreciate Commissioner Lisa Cacari Stone. Her thoughtful and consistent questioning, and the only vote against the AES project made it clear she was the sole Commissioner who truly took the time and initiative to wade through the information provided by the parties of standing and the public.

We encourage you to send your thanks directly to Lisa Cacari Stone as we have.

Email: [email protected]

Letters:
Commissioner Lisa Cacari Stone
Santa Fe County
102 Grant Ave
Santa Fe NM 87501-2061

11/08/2025

If you want to review what took place at the final County hearing, below are direct links to each video.

8/11/2025 (missing everything after dinner break)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQNVEefUVTo
8/12/2025 (public comments)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgoQR_QEedQ
8/26/2025 (first part)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky6RhyTb_Xc
8/26/2025 (second part)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzp1RptJp0w&t=1571s

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