KIT CARSON
OperatingSolar power plant
- Capacity
- 1 MW
- Primary fuel
- Solar
- County
- Taos County
- Operator
- WASHINGTON GAS ENERGY SYSTEMS INC.
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 2012
- EIA plant ID
- 58240
- Coordinates
- 36.9667, -105.4381
KIT CARSON, a 1 MW Solar power plant in Taos County, New Mexico. Operated by WASHINGTON GAS ENERGY SYSTEMS INC., commissioned 2012.
Weather peril exposure
KIT CARSON is a 1 MW solar power plant in Taos County, NM, operated by WASHINGTON GAS ENERGY SYSTEMS INC., commissioned in 2012. Taos County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.4 of 5 at the 11th national percentile. Riverine flooding is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 93rd percentile.
Taos County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Share of modeled loss | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Moderate | 93rd | 4.7 of 5 | 39% | 0.43 |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 92nd | 4.7 of 5 | 30% | <0.01 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 59th | 3.4 of 5 | 1% | <0.01 |
| Winter weather | Relatively High | 59th | 3.4 of 5 | 1% | 25.1 |
| Hail | Very Low | 17th | 1.7 of 5 | 25% | 0.73 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 14th | 1.6 of 5 | 2% | 0.16 |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 13th | 1.5 of 5 | <1% | 70.0 |
| Heat wave | Very Low | 10th | 1.4 of 5 | <1% | 0.05 |
| Strong wind | Very Low | 6th | 1.2 of 5 | 1% | 0.09 |
| Ice storm | Very Low | 0th | 1.0 of 5 | <1% | 0.01 |
Perils not assessed in Taos County
These perils carry no usable National Risk Index figure for this county, so they are excluded from the scoring rather than scored zero. A zero would claim the peril was assessed and found benign.
| Peril | Why it is not scored |
|---|---|
| Hurricane | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Hail exposure and deductible structure
Hail scores 1.7 of 5, which sits in the 1% to 2% percentage deductible range carriers are quoting for that exposure. Named windstorm and severe convective wind score 1.6 of 5, indicating a 1% to 1% wind deductible. Ranges, not single figures. The final structure is set by the carrier.
Percentage hail deductible range: 1% to 2% of insured value. Wind deductible range: 1% to 1%. These are the structures commonly seen at this exposure, not an offer and not a rate.
Modeled annual loss for a 1 MW solar array
At an assumed replacement value of $0.90 per watt, or $900,000 insured, the modeled expected annual loss for a fixed tilt ground mount array in Taos County is $200 a year, $200 per MW, 0.02% of insured value.
Heat is modeled as a production risk rather than a property loss: 0.3% of annual yield in this county.
Insurability signal: Standard. Riverine flooding carries 39% of modeled loss.
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Taos County in the weather risk calculator
Ratings are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings; the peril score is a Bywatts transform of the FEMA national percentile, and the modeled loss applies the Bywatts solar vulnerability layer. Full data sources and the solar vulnerability methodology are in the weather risk calculator.
Modeled estimate for screening and negotiation. Built from FEMA National Risk Index county hazard data and a solar vulnerability layer documented above. Not a quote, a binder, or actuarial advice, and not a substitute for a carrier's own model. Hazard data: FEMA National Risk Index December 2025, synced 2026-07-24. Resolution is county level, not site level. The solar vulnerability layer that turns FEMA building loss into modeled solar loss was derived by Bywatts and revised on physical reasoning. It has not been reviewed by a practising underwriter.