Abe Bitok (left), NTU’s director of support services, David Amster-Olszewski (center), CEO and founder of SunShare, and Dr. Elmer Guy, president of Navajo Technical University, converse with one another at the community solar garden in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

SunShare, LLC, the nation’s oldest community solar developer, in conjunction with SolPower, LLC, a local New Mexico community solar company, is proud to announce the completion and energization of its first two community solar gardens in New Mexico.

In alignment with its mission to elevate the communities within its operational sphere, SunShare has pledged more than $7 million in contributions to Navajo Technical University, the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women, and Habitat for Humanity. Dr. Elmer Guy and Abe Bitok attended the formal event.

“While this solar facility will supply clean energy, the partnership holds equal promise for creating meaningful economic and educational opportunities. I hope that this initiative collaborates with local nonprofit organizations and equity partners to offer community-focused educational programs, solar facility tours, and technical training,” stated Dr. Guy, president of Navajo Technical University.

To celebrate this exciting milestone with all its community partners, SunShare hosted a ribbon-cutting event at its Juniper Sol Community Solar Garden in Santa Fe. The six-megawatt direct-current (MWdc) community solar garden reached commercial operation on July 1 and has begun producing renewable energy. Additionally, SunShare’s Rockhound Sol Community Solar Garden, a 4.5 MWdc solar farm in Deming, New Mexico, was energized on the same day.

The celebration brought together hundreds of local subscribers and community leaders from across the state.

“People shouldn’t have to choose between putting gas in their car, paying for groceries, or paying their electricity bill. That’s why projects like this are so important. Juniper Sol is making the cost-saving benefits of renewable energy accessible to all, including renters and those who can’t afford the upfront installation of solar,” said Deb Haaland, candidate for New Mexico governor. “As we look to fight rising costs, we have an opportunity to expand creative and smart local projects like community solar.”

David Amster-Olszewski, the CEO and founder of SunShare, stated, “Our nation’s electricity needs are rapidly growing, and the Juniper Sol project demonstrates how community-based solar can cost-effectively and quickly meet that demand. At the same time, these types of projects bring wide-ranging benefits, such as to the 2,000 families who are saving on electricity costs for the next 25 years with their subscriptions to this garden. As we celebrate SunShare’s 15th anniversary with this dedication of Santa Fe County’s first community solar garden, SunShare is as committed as ever to advancing a clean and distributed renewable energy future.”

SunShare remains resolute in its mission to drive positive change, advance clean energy solutions, and invest in Indigenous communities. The company’s contributions exemplify the power of collective action and the potential of renewable energy to fuel transformation.