Posts Tagged ‘Christine Logan’

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin

Bulletin Staff Report

About two dozen Mexican investors will meet with local business owners and industry experts during the Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces’ Reverse Trade Mission Friday, March 18, at the Las Cruces Convention Center, 680 E. University Ave.

According to the Hispano chamber, the objectives of the mission are to showcase the potential growth areas in the Las Cruces region to foreign investors; introduce foreign investors to existing businesses in the area and provide an opportunity to expand their product lines and create joint-ventures; introduce foreign investors to entrepreneurs in the Las Cruces region; and to create new jobs in the Las Cruces area.

“This is a first for the Hispano chamber, but it’s an event we plan to hold every year to remind foreign investors of the opportunities our area has to offer,” said Peter Ibarbo, Hispano chamber board member and chair of the chamber’s Economic Development Committee. “We are expecting 25 investors from Mexico to come to the area and tap into local resources and expertise in a mutually beneficial, business-to-business setting.”

Investors will explore local industries related to hotel and tourism development, café and restaurant development, product distribution center development, maquiladora supplier development, alternative energy infrastructure development and real estate development.

The day will begin at 1:30 p.m. with a lunch session for the investment delegation featuring welcoming remarks from John Munoz, Hispano chamber president, and Ken Miyagishima, Las Cruces mayor. Introductions by Las Cruces Economic Development entities will be given by Kevin Boberg of the Arrowhead Center and Christine Logan of the City of Las Cruces Economic Development Department.

A pre-qualified business-to-business session with potential business partners and associates will take place from 2:30 to 5:25 p.m. From 5:30 to 6 p.m., local attorneys will speak on tax and fiscal issues regarding bi-national business activities and business immigration visas.

U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce has been invited to give the opening remarks for the 6 p.m. dinner, to be followed by a presentation on the Spaceport America supply chain by Wayne Savage, chair of the Commercial Space Committee for the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce. Odes-Armijo Caster of the Albuquerque- based Sacred Power Co. will talk about solar energy initiatives and developments in New Mexico.

Individual ticket prices are $17.50 for Hispano chamber members, which includes full access to business-to-business sessions and dinner, and non-member ticket prices are $25 for access to the business-to-business sessions only, $35 for business- to-business sessions and dinner and $27.50 for dinner only tickets.

To learn more or to purchase a ticket, call Ibarbo at 621-5240 or email peter@ibarbogroup.com.

Article courtesy of Las Cruces Sun-News

By Steve Ramirez

LAS CRUCES – To buy or lease? That is the question for SunEdison. The answer could mean at least an additional $1 million profit to the city.

In consecutive weeks, SunEdison, a global leader among solar companies, has entered into one-year options with the city of Las Cruces to either buy or lease city land to develop and operate a solar generation plant. Monday, the Las Cruces City Council unanimously approved a proposed sale agreement with the company that could bring as much as $1.2 million to the city’s West Mesa Economic Development Fund.

Last week, the council approved a lease agreement that has the possibility of raising as much as $2.3 million during a 30-year term stipulated in the agreement. Those proceeds would go to the city’s Airport Fund.

Both agreements include one-year options to enable company officials and engineers to conduct feasibility and technical tests to determine the best location for the solar generation plant. The option year is also expected to provide SunEdison with enough time to learn if a proposed power purchase agreement with El Paso Electric is approved by the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission. Those options include a $1,000 payment to the city, and there is a provision that if another option year is needed, SunEdison would pay the city $1,500 for the extra year.

Christine Logan, city administrator for economic development and revitalization, clarified to the council and city administrators there will only be one solar generation plant. “Contrary to prior information, it’s important that the public understands that there is potential for only one solar project on the West Mesa,” Logan said. “The purchase agreement is one of two options SunEdison is considering, and they will pick one of them.”

SunEdison has entered into a planned power purchase agreement with El Paso Electric. That agreement calls for SunEdison to sell 24 megawatts of solar power to the utility. El Paso Electric Co. provides electricity to about 80,000 customers in southern New Mexico, most in Las Cruces.

The proposed power purchase agreement has been submitted to the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, and Jared Schoch, Southwest Regional Sales Manager for SunEdison, said company officials are hopeful PRC approval could happen within the next few months. “We’re hopeful there will be a decision by the end of December,” Schoch said.

If the purchase power agreement gets PRC approval, SunEdison would be able to increase its solar power production in North America by more than 21 percent. According to the company’s website, it currently manages more than 112.5 megawatts of photovoltaic solar power plants in North America, not including the 24 megawatts it wants to produce for El Paso Electric.

To produce 24 megawatts of photovoltaic power, Logan said SunEdison would probably need a generation plant of 150 to 170 acres. The location for the potential facility at the West Mesa Industrial Park is south of F&A Dairy and adjacent to a city wastewater treatment plant that serves the industrial park.

But whether SunEdison buys or leases city land, city officials still believe the deal is worth consummating. “This is a good project to go with,” Councilor Gill Sorg said.

Some residents aren’t as concerned about the city selling or leasing the land, as much as they have questions about how the proposed generation plant will affect their future monthly electric bills. “I haven’t heard, and would like to know, if this solar generation plant is going to be able to lower our bills,” said Kyle Ivery, a retired draftsman who has lived in Las Cruces for about eight years. “It makes complete sense that a company like that would be interested in coming to Las Cruces. But I hope there’s some kind of incentive or motivation to help out the local guy who lives here.”

Steve Ramirez can be reached at (575) 541-5452.

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Sun-News

By Steve Ramirez

LAS CRUCES – The lease approved Monday may be just the start of plans by SunEdison to build two solar power plants in Las Cruces and sell the power to El Paso Electric Co.

Along with the one-year option on a lease agreement approved Monday by the Las Cruces City Council, there’s also an agreement in place between the worldwide solar energy company and El Paso Electric for SunEdison to provide 24 megawatts annually, in renewable energy. A megawatt is equal to 1,000 kilowatts or 1 million watts. That means SunEdison’s option to build one – and very likely two – solar generating facilities in west Las Cruces appears more likely than conceptual.

“That’s our hope and plan,” said Ricardo Acosta, director of resource and delivery planning for El Paso Electric. “At this point we’re awaiting regulatory approval from the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission. We have a hearing on Thursday to gather facts of the case, and hopefully, we could hear something from them in November or December.”

Jared Schoch, Southwest regional sales manager for SunEdison, said as many as 200 construction jobs could be created when work begins to build the two generating facilities and there would be jobs, although fewer in number, to maintain and operate the two facilities. “For the construction phase there could be anywhere from 20 to 30 different contractors working on the project,” Schoch said. “A lot of that labor is going to be local.” Schoch added that construction to build the two facilities could take 18 to 20 months to complete.

Clay Doyle, vice president of New Mexico Affairs for El Paso Electric, said SunEdison was selected earlier this year from the more than 20 companies after El Paso Electric issued a request for proposals.

The council voted 6-0, with Councilor Dolores Connor abstaining – because her husband works for El Paso Electric, to approve the lease agreement for land near the Las Cruces Airport. There was also quick consensus to bring forward a proposed land sale of as much as 200 acres at the West Mesa Industrial Park for a second generating facility. The land sale agreement will be formally considered by the council at its Nov. 1 meeting.

“It’s great to have private-sector partners,” Councilor Nathan Small said. Added Councilor Olga Pedroza, “It’s a good thing all around and I’m glad to be working in partnership.”

But Las Crucens Jim Hayhoe and Leon Billstone, who said they supported the development of solar energy, expressed concerns that the council could get a better financial return. “I cannot believe you’re getting fair market value,” said Hayhoe, of the $500 per acre lease agreement for land located just south and west of Las Cruces International Airport. “(And) One thousand dollars is a ridiculous option amount.”

Billstone said, “It looks awful cheap to me. But the project is good, as long as it’s not going to hurt the airport.” Billstone was also a bit concerned that the generating facility could hinder glide paths of aircraft approaching the airport’s Runway 4-22. However, city officials heeded a recommendation from the city’s Airport Advisory Board and stipulated in the lease agreement that the facility cannot interfere with aircraft or airport operations.

Christine Logan, economic development and revitalization administrator for the city, pointed out that the site for the generating facility is near El Paso Electric’s airport substation, just off of Interstate 10. El Paso Electric also has a power line that runs above the property SunEdison is interested in leasing. Power from the generating facility would either be transmitted to the nearby substation or to the power line above it.

Steve Ramirez can be reached at (575) 541-5452

Article courtesy to the Las Cruces Bulletin

By Gabriel Vasquez

Not many people know about the West Mesa Industrial Park, a 1,820-acre development located on Interstate 10, eight miles west of Las Cruces. It is home to several companies specializing in light and general manufacturing, and more are coming.

Most recently, Alaska Structures (AKS), a company in Las Cruces for more than 10 years, has expanded from its South Main Street facility into the 180,000-square-foot West Mesa building previously occupied by Rea Magnet Wire.

“I can confirm they are now occupying the old Rea building, and have taken over part of the Parkview site as well,” said Davin Lopez, president and CEO of the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance.

The Parkview Metals site, vacant since 2007, stands at 100,000 square feet. AKS leased all but the office space in the building as it continues to consolidate its El Paso operations into Las Cruces.

“(AKS) will need more employees, but I do not know if they are hiring right now,” said Christine Logan, administrator for the city’s Economic Development Department. AKS designs, engineers and manufactures fabric-building systems for extreme environments for both military and commercial use. It recently was awarded a large contract that called for the expansion. Expected employment for the Rea site is 75 to90 employees, city officials said, with a possible expansion of up to 170 employees once the Parkview site is fully operational.

“It’s safe to say, that any local company that expands at this rate can only be a great opportunity for us,” Lopez said.

Although industrial buildings are still available for lease, space on the West Mesa is becoming more of a hot commodity.

“Don Billings has a 6,000-square-foot spec building available on Trigg Loop and NAI 1st Valley is marketing a 23,000-squarefoot facility on Crawford Boulevard,” Logan said. “Although there are not many buildings available, there are several development ready land parcels available through private land owners and the city.”

Current West Mesa tenants include Samson Equipment, which continues to do well and is looking to acquire additional land for expansion. F&A Dairy Products has completed a significant expansion and has recently upped its employment number to 93.

The Sapphire Energy research and development site continues to grow and now employs 24 full-time and has added several interns from New Mexico State University.

Onion producers Barker Produce have a new facility under construction on the West Mesa and Premier Distributing opened a facility there in February and employs 63 people in the park.

For more information on the West Mesa Industrial Park, a city-owned light manufacturing and industry development, call (575) 541-2286.