Juwi Solar, which owns Newman Solar LLC, will be responsible for developing, designing, building and operating the project. The design phase will begin in early summer of this year, shortly followed by construction and final completion of the project tentatively scheduled for the end of 2014. When complete, the new solar facility -- which will be constructed by Newman Solar LLC -- will help power more than 3,800 homes throughout the year.

“Our commitment to building a portfolio that includes renewable energy technologies in order to complement our local, clean burning natural gas units help make overall power in our region dependable, safe and cleaner,” said Tom Shockley, CEO at El Paso Electric Company. “We continue to look for opportunities to add cost effective solar energy such as the Newman Solar project, which in the long run helps reduce emissions and provide cleaner air.”