2019 Legislative Session:
100% Renewable Energy in New Mexico
We urge the New Mexico State Legislature to extend the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to require that New Mexico public electric utilities generate:
-
50% renewable energy by 2030
-
100%renewable energy by 2050
Sign For Renewables
Petitions
Why?
350NM Activists and City Councilor Pat Davis, June 2018
Sun, Wind and Geothermal: New Mexico has world class renewable energy resources: we are the second sunniest state, twelfth windiest, and rank seventh for geothermal potential.
Jobs: The wind and solar industry currently employ 3,500-4,500 New Mexicans
Health: Coal-fired power plants emit dangerous pollutants, causing asthma, heart and lung diseases, and other negative health effects. The retirement of coal plants will significantly reduce
emissions of SO2, NOx, and mercury. Committing to Renewables would improve air quality and healthy, not only would New Mexican’s feel better, but we can also save money through lowered health care expenses.
Current NM Electricity Generation:
New Mexico’s coal plants are on the way out—and renewable energy, not gas, should replace them.
- PNM has announced plans to exit coal by 2031, closing San Juan GS in 2022 and exiting Four Corners GS by 2031.
Coal has been New Mexico’s primary source of electricity generation for nearly two decades. But coal-fired power declined since 2004 “in response to tougher air quality regulations, cheaper natural gas, and California’s decision in 2014 to stop purchasing electricity generated from coal” in neighboring states. New Mexico is also looking to increase generation from zero-carbon sources because it sends a significant amount power to California, a state with some of the strictest renewable energy policies in the country. New York Times, Dec. 2018
A cleaner electricity future for New Mexico would mean a dramatic decline in CO2 emissions.
Energy storage technologies, such as batteries and compressed air, can ensure that clean energy can meet
energy demand. Storage technologies are a beneficial resource for integrating higher levels of variable renewable resources onto the electricity grid.
How? Expand Renewable Portfolio Standard
- Expand the Renewable Portfolio Standard to require investor-owned utilities (PNM, SPS, EPE) to reach 50% by 2030, towards 100% by 2050.
100% Clean Energy
- 50% Wind
- 40% Solar (30.3% Utilities, 5.5% Residential, 3.8% Govt)
- 10% Geothermal
Recommended by Stanford University, based on New Mexico’s resources.
For more see Tom Solomon’s Presentation Slides.
New Mexico has tremendous wind resources, making wind energy a highly cost effective, clean, and viable electricity technology in the state, and the push to clean energy has the potential to bring more good-paying jobs.
Clean Energy Presentation Tom Solomon, 350NM
These slides take you step by step to a path for 100% clean electricity for New Mexico. Tom also lays out the urgency of switching to wind, solar and geothermal quickly, as climate change is already happening. Presentation Slides
Events:
Clean Energy Conference, 2019
with Goldman Prize Winner Destiny Watford
When: Monday, January 28, 2019 3pm-8pm
Where: Temple Beth Shalom: 205 E Barcelona Rd, Santa Fe NM 87505
Agenda: Conference Sign Up Here
2:00 pm – Check-In/Network
3:00 pm – A Vision for New Mexico and the Planet – Opening Speakers
3:30 pm – How to be an Effective Grassroots Lobbyist
4:00 pm – Learn the Details of Climate Legislation – Breakouts
6:00 pm – Dinner / Networking
7:00 pm – Laura Paskus, New Mexico Environmental Reporter
Laura is the environment reporter for NM Political Report, and a correspondent for NM In Focus on KNME-TV. She’s been a reporter, covering New Mexico and western water, climate and energy issues since 2002 when she started her journalism career at High Country News. She’s written for national and regional magazines like The Progressive and Ms. Magazine, local papers like the Santa Fe Reporter, and reported for KUNM 89.9 FM.
Destiny Watford
Destiny is the 2016 Goldman Environmental Prize winner. In a community whose environmental rights had long been sidelined to make room for heavy industry, Destiny inspired residents of a Baltimore neighborhood to defeat plans to build the nation’s largest incinerator less than a mile away from her high school. Destiny Watford Video
Clean Energy Day, 2019
When: Tuesday, January 29, 2019 8am-3pm
Where: New Mexico State Legislature
The 2019 New Mexico State Legislative Session will be an important opportunity to pass legislation to do our part to stop the climate crisis. We need all New Mexicans to join us as grassroots lobbyists at the Roundhouse this year. Attend our Clean Energy Conference on the 28th and on the 29th get more training, visit informational tables, hear from speakers and go in teams to visit our legislators.
Learn More:
New York Times: How Does Your State Make Electricity, December 2018
The Solutions Project
Solutions Project is leading an energy revolution, moving all of us to clean, renewable energy powered by the wind, water, and sun.
100% Clean Energy New Mexico, Solutions Project
Committing to Renewables in New Mexico, Union of Concerned Scientists, 2017
Project Drawdown: 100 Solutions to Reverse Global Warming
Project Drawdown gathers and facilitates a broad coalition of researchers, scientists, graduate students, PhDs, post-docs, policy makers, business leaders and activists to assemble and present the best available information on climate solutions in order to describe their beneficial financial, social and environmental impact over the next thirty years.