Supporting Grid Operations in Rural New Mexico
We’re piloting sensors and software with Kit Carson Electric Cooperative that bring real-time monitoring, metering, and safety to the grid, across even the most remote stretches of northern New Mexico.
A grid that covers mountains, mesas, and miles of open country
Kit Carson Electric Cooperative is a member-owned utility that has served Taos, Colfax, and Rio Arriba counties since 1944. Its lines run through some of the most rugged, remote country in the state.
Across territory like that, meters are still read by hand, faults take time to find, and assets are spread far from the people responsible for them. Wi-Fi and cellular coverage can’t be counted on, so the usual connected tools fall short exactly where they’re needed most.
Four kinds of sensors, one view of the grid
Low-power sensors continuously watch line conditions, transformer health, voltage, and usage. The pilot puts four types in the field at once, all reporting over the same long-range network.
Grid fault sensors
Watch line conditions along the distribution system and flag a fault the moment it happens, with its exact location.
Fire detection
Sensors near the line that catch early signs of fire, so the right people know before it spreads.
Electrical meter retrofits
Existing meters connected to the network, so readings arrive in software instead of being read by hand.
GPS asset trackers
Location for non-fixed equipment like trailers and tools, to prevent theft and cut operational costs.
The health of the whole territory, at a glance
Sensors report over a LoRaWAN network with satellite backhaul, so data gets out even where Wi-Fi and cellular connections don’t reach.
Readings land in the VastVision dashboard, or connect to the platforms the cooperative already uses. Operators see the health of the entire system at once, get automatic alerts the moment something goes wrong, and dispatch crews to the exact location of an issue.
A modern grid, without waiting for a modern network
- 01Grid modernizationSensors talk to software, instead of meters being read manually.
- 02Actionable dataInformation from the field arrives ready to act on, not just to store.
- 03Asset protectionGPS tracking keeps non-fixed assets where they belong.
- 04Rural connectivityLoRaWAN tied to satellite works where Wi-Fi and cellular do not.
Through the Advanced Energy Innovation Bridge
The pilot runs through the Advanced Energy Innovation Bridge, launched by UNM Taos HIVE with Kit Carson Electric Cooperative and the Taos Community Foundation. The program gives New Mexico advanced energy companies the chance to test and pilot their technology directly with the cooperative.
Source: New Mexico Economic Development Department, March 3, 2026
Running a grid across hard terrain?
Tell us where the coverage gaps are. We'll show you what the network and sensors can see.