SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / NM / McKinley

McKinley County, NM — Solar Development Risk Assessment

Local solar ordinance barriers, board sentiment, and utility policies that affect development timelines and risk.

58
Risk Grade
Fair
Gallup hub city county; Navajo Nation land substantially overlaps county — tribal land requires separate Navajo Nation consent process with high complexity and uncertainty; non-tribal private land in Gallup metro viable with standard CUP; McKinley County Commission receptive to non-tribal development; C-grade reflects moderate compliance, elevated uncertainty from tribal jurisdiction overlap, and worsening trajectory as tribal land complexity is unlikely to simplify; developers must clearly delineate tribal vs. non-tribal parcels
Assessment Snapshot
Population
72849
State Rank
#25
Compliance
52%
Trajectory
45

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
150 ft from property lines; 300 ft from occupied structures; tribal land projects require Navajo Nation consent under separate process and are not subject to county CUP
Zoning Mechanism
Conditional Use Permit (CUP) — McKinley County Commission (non-tribal land only)
Acreage Caps
None established
Spacing Rules
None established
Size Restrictions
None established

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Mixed — McKinley County Commission receptive to solar on non-tribal land; Gallup community mixed but generally supportive; tribal land (Navajo Nation) requires completely separate process through Navajo Nation chapters and NTUA — high complexity and long timelines; non-tribal private land in Gallup metro area is viable with standard CUP; overall complexity elevated by tribal jurisdiction overlap
Basis for Assessment
McKinley County Commission; Gallup Independent; Navajo Nation Office of the President; NTUA; PNM; WECC queue
Political Risk Factors
Stable-Worsening
Board Members
McKinley County Commission (3 members) — co.mckinley.nm.us

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
WECC / PNM (Public Service Company of New Mexico)
Utilities
PNM (Public Service Company of New Mexico), Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA)
State Permitting Process
County zoning authority; no state solar preemption; conditional use or special use permit (CUP/SUP) required for utility-scale solar (>1 MW); NM model solar ordinance framework available but adoption varies by county; decommissioning bond typically required; NM Solar Rights Act (1978, amended) protects residential solar access but does not preempt local large-project zoning
State Incentives
Federal ITC eligible; NM Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit (REPTC); NM Energy Transition Act (2019) zero-carbon mandate driving procurement; PNM and Xcel NM renewable procurement programs; NM Solar Market Development Tax Credit (residential); USDA REAP eligible for rural counties

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects
Gallup Solar I (10 MW, 2022, approved — non-tribal private land); Navajo Tribal Utility Authority solar (tribal land, separate process)
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
None known

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Last verified: 2026-04-02 | SolarRisk Tracker | Data sources: Government records, utility filings, public meeting minutes