Feasibility Study of Economics and Performance of Solar Photovoltaics at the Chino Mine in Silver City, New Mexico. A Study Prepared in Partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency for the RE-Powering America's Land Initiative: Siting Renewable En

摘要

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in accordance with the RE-Powering America's Land initiative, selected the Chino Mine site in Silver City, New Mexico, for a feasibility study of renewable energy production. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) provided technical assistance for this project. The purpose of this report is to assess the site for a possible photovoltaic (PV) system installation and estimate the cost, performance, and site impacts of different PV options. In addition, the report recommends financing options that could assist in the implementation of a PV system at the site. This study did not assess environmental conditions at the site. The Chino Mine is located near the town of Hurley in Grant County, New Mexico, about 12 miles east of Silver City. Chino Mine, which is owned by Freeport-McMoRan Incorporated (FMI), is one of the largest open-pit copper mines in the world, covering over 9,000 acres. There are three sites for this study. Site 1 is a smelter facility that has 23 acres, and site reclamation is complete. Site 2 has 277 acres, and site reclamation has begun and is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2014. Site 3 is the largest site with 1,700 acres, and reclamation was complete at the end of 2012.