Maxeon factory the result of a true public-private partnership

Recently there was an announcement of a game-changing economic development “win” for the Albuquerque region and for New Mexico’s economic future.

Maxeon Solar Technologies announced the selection of a 160-acre site in Mesa del Sol to build a 1.9 million square foot manufacturing facility for the manufacture of silicon solar cells and modular solar panels.

The factory will cost nearly $1 billion to construct and will produce 8 million solar panels per year. When completed, 1,800 high-paying jobs will be created by Maxeon. Add in the suppliers that will provide products and services that will support the Maxeon plant, and several thousand additional jobs will be added to our Metro region.

The decision by Maxeon to locate operations in New Mexico has put our state on an international “radar screen” for site selectors and companies that are reshoring manufacturing operations from foreign countries back to the U.S. or considering onshoring of existing U.S. manufacturing through expansion/relocation of operations already in the U.S.

Maxeon might be the “first mover” in renewable energy manufacturing for our state, but there will be many more opportunities for renewable energy manufacturers to consider locating in New Mexico. A report released by NREL, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, in the spring of 2023 reported that solar module manufacturers from India are “reportedly considering U.S. module plants to benefit from IRA incentives.”

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