Luis A. Reyes Jr. graduated from Taos High School. He earned an Associate of Arts in General Studies from the New Mexico Military Institute in 1980 and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from New Mexico State University in 1984. He joined Kit Carson Electric Cooperative, Inc. (KCEC) in 1984 as a System Engineer and became the Chief Executive Officer and General Manager in 1994.
Luis has provided vision and leadership to build a Cooperative that offers a variety of services, including renewable energy, broadband internet, and low-cost propane. KCEC operates as a 100% daytime solar cooperative with 42 MW of distributed solar resources and approximately 16.25 MW of battery storage in its service area. KCEC plans to add solar and storage facilities to make the co-op 100% renewable, utilizing local resources. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) selected KCEC to receive $23 million to enhance the U.S. power grid's ability to deliver affordable, clean energy to American communities across northern New Mexico. The funds will advance the Building a Modern, Intelligent Distributed BESS for Resiliency in Northern New Mexico project to mitigate the impacts of extreme weather and strengthen grid reliability. Additionally, KCEC is exploring long-term energy solutions, such as green hydrogen production and storage.