MESA DEL SOL, NM – Maxeon Solar Technologies will open a US$1 billion-plus solar cell and panel manufacturing facility in Mesa del Sol, according to New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.
The 1.9 million-square-foot complex planned by the Singapore-based company is the nation’s first commercial-scale solar cell manufacturer and is expected to employ up to 1,800 people.
“This private investment shows how our state programs, along with President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, have charted a path for New Mexico as a leader in growing the clean energy economy and building a strong workforce for the future,” said Governor Lujan Grisham.
Over the next 10 years, the project is expected to bring $4.2 billion to New Mexico. According to Bill Mulligan, CEO of Maxeon Solar Technologies, an intensive process of evaluating sites across the United States was undertaken to find the right location for the first manufacturing plant in the country.
“New Mexico had everything we were looking for: a business-friendly climate, supportive infrastructure, focus on workforce development and deep roots in energy leadership,” said Mulligan.
The Maxeon plant is expected to be the first large-scale photovoltaic cell and panel manufacturing facility in New Mexico, and its planned capacity is approximately twice the size of the largest silicon solar manufacturing facility currently operating in the United States.
Construction is expected to begin in early 2024 on 160 acres in Mesa del Sol. At full production, the facility is expected to manufacture up to 8 million solar panels each year.
The new plant will produce the latest generation of solar cell and module technology to meet rapidly growing demand to serve both the utility-scale power plant market and rooftop distributed generation applications.
