SANTA FE, NM – The New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) is thrilled to announce the recipients of the inaugural Community Energy Efficiency Development (CEED) Program grants. These grants, totaling $11.78 million, have been allocated to eight carefully selected projects across the state. Funding for these initiatives includes $10 million from the New Mexico Legislature and an additional $1.78 million from the U.S. Department of Energy.

"This program has the potential to change how people live and feel in their homes, giving them a renewed sense of comfort and real money back in their pockets," said Rebecca "Puck" Stair, Director of EMNRD's Energy Conservation and Management Division (ECMD), which is administering the CEED Program. "We are grateful for the work these local government staffs and their community partners have done preparing their applications, and we look forward to supporting them as we move into project implementation."

The Community Energy Efficiency Development Block Grant Act, passed by the legislature in 2022, aims to provide financial support for residential energy efficiency improvements in underserved communities throughout New Mexico. This act empowers local governments, in collaboration with community organizations, to address the impacts of climate change by assisting low-income households in reducing their energy bills and harmful emissions while simultaneously creating local employment opportunities.

The winning projects selected for the initial round of funding under this program are as follows:

City of Albuquerque: Community Energy Efficiency Project.

City of Aztec: Lowering Energy Costs for Residents in the City of Aztec, New Mexico, Through Beneficial Electrification.

Town of Bernalillo: Senior Housing Energy Efficiency Retrofits.

City of Las Cruces: Plugged in for Good Energy Alliance: Affordable, Resilient Retrofits.

City of Santa Fe: City of Santa Fe Low-Income Household Energy Efficiency & Electrification.

County of Santa Fe: Reducing Energy Burdens for Low Income Households in Santa Fe County.

County of Taos: Taos County Community Energy Efficiency Program.

New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority: Bringing Fuel-Switching and Lower Energy Costs to Rural New Mexico.