Intel’s taken major steps to propel itself into the future as a major player for renewable energy in New Mexico.

Intel spokeswoman Linda Qian said the company modified its chilled water system at the Sandoval County facility in 2020 to reduce electricity consumption. That system helps keep the site at a certain temperature, she said.

Intel’s saved nearly 20 million kilowatt hours of electricity at the local site since 2020, she said. Intel will save about 9.6 million kilowatt hours of electricity each year because of the project, she said.

“The system essentially needs less energy now to maintain the same level of support for the factory,” Qian said. “Because the savings amount was pretty significant, PNM decided to split the savings and recognize us.”

She also said Intel’s Sandoval County site is 100 percent fueled by green power energy.

The entire company’s been committed to green power for more than a decade, and decided within the last few years to aim for 100 percent renewable energy globally, she said.

Intel was among five local entities to win a PNM Business Energy Efficiency Award for reducing their carbon footprints and taking steps to become more energy efficient. Qian said it was likely the chilled water optimization project that led to Intel’s receiving the accolade.

“We’re always looking for ways we can reduce the amount of electricity that we use,” Qian said.

The projects at the Sandoval County plant are part of the company’s two larger goals of achieving 100 percent renewable electricity across company operations worldwide by 2030, and to conserve billions of energy kilowatts, Qian said.

That initiative is part of the company’s 2030 RISE Strategy and Goals, creating a more responsible, inclusive and sustainable world, enabled through technology and collective actions, according to Intel’s website.

Intel set aside about $30 million for energy conservation and efficiency projects, Qian said.

Intel also plans to publish its latest RISE report for the local site in the next several weeks, she said.