For working against the inversion, a simple solution would be to implement some venting along the sides and vent at the height of minimum temperature for a maximum differential, assuming that if the inversion was strong enough and the minimum temperature was lower in altitude than the max height of the tower. Yeah, you're gonna lose efficiency, but you'd still be able to generate some power, but I think even with that amount of thermal mass you could still maintain a decent differential I think. Also, southwestern and northeastern Arizona are pretty flat and the southwestern part is much much lower in altitude than Albuquerque.
Also, where from NM are you? I'm from ABQ and Farmington.
But there isn't much power there, and we aren't good at extracting power efficiently from lower temperature differentials. I read that wind power goes as the cube of the wind speed, so you really want to maximize this system to extract power during the day time (when the temperature difference and hence wind speed is most), and not the night. Even if it can support 1/2 the wind speed, that's only 1/8th of the power production.
Yeah, ABQ's in the valley so it's probably more prone to thermal inversions. I get the idea (eg, from http://www.arizonensis.org/news/sonorandesertedition/news03_... "PHOENIX, Az. ... The perfume is most noticeable after dark when temperature inversions trap it close to the ground.") that mountains aren't required, and that it's a common feature of deserts, but I wasn't able to track down numbers.
I was in Santa Fe for 8 years. I come back about once a year for my green chile fix. ;)
Also, where from NM are you? I'm from ABQ and Farmington.