MACHO SPRINGS
OperatingSolar power plant
- Capacity
- 52 MW
- Primary fuel
- Solar
- County
- Luna County
- Operator
- FIRST SOLAR ENERGY LLC
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 2014
- EIA plant ID
- 59010
- Coordinates
- 32.5700, -107.4800
MACHO SPRINGS, a 52 MW Solar power plant in Luna County, New Mexico. Operated by FIRST SOLAR ENERGY LLC, commissioned 2014.
Weather peril exposure
MACHO SPRINGS is a 52 MW solar power plant in Luna County, NM, operated by FIRST SOLAR ENERGY LLC, commissioned in 2014. Luna County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.6 of 5 at the 14th national percentile. Riverine flooding is the leading peril, rated Relatively Low by FEMA at the 76th percentile.
Luna County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Share of modeled loss | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 76th | 4.0 of 5 | 21% | 1.1 |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 76th | 4.0 of 5 | 6% | <0.01 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Moderate | 60th | 3.4 of 5 | <1% | 3.6 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 57th | 3.3 of 5 | 1% | <0.01 |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 55th | 3.2 of 5 | 1% | 52.4 |
| Hail | Very Low | 31st | 2.2 of 5 | 69% | 0.24 |
| Ice storm | Very Low | 21st | 1.9 of 5 | <1% | 0.01 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 7th | 1.3 of 5 | <1% | 2.6 |
| Strong wind | Very Low | 7th | 1.3 of 5 | 1% | 0.21 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 3rd | 1.1 of 5 | <1% | 0.06 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 3rd | 1.1 of 5 | <1% | <0.01 |
Perils not assessed in Luna 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 |
|---|---|
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Hail exposure and deductible structure
Hail scores 2.2 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 1.3 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 52 MW solar array
At an assumed replacement value of $0.90 per watt, or $46.8M insured, the modeled expected annual loss for a fixed tilt ground mount array in Luna County is $12,092 a year, $233 per MW, 0.03% of insured value.
Heat is modeled as a production risk rather than a property loss: 1.8% of annual yield in this county.
Insurability signal: Standard. Hail carries 69% of modeled loss.
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Luna 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.