A few states have officially committed to a zero-carbon electric grid – Hawaii, California, and Washington D.C. – and now New Mexico too, as soon as the governor signs the legislation. A dozen other states have proposed similar goals but have not yet made it law. New Mexico’s bill arose from a years-long effort to rally stakeholders within the state’s close-knit political community.
The Senate already passed the clean electricity bill 32-9, and the House also passed it 43-22. Right after the New Mexico House of Representatives passed the Energy Transition Act they sent the carbon-free electricity bill to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.
There is no concern over whether or not she will sign it either. Her opinions are known. She campaigned on raising the share of renewable energy and endorsed the ETA in a recent column. “The governor will sign the bill as quickly as possible,” said spokesperson Tripp Stelnicki.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said during her 2019 State of the State address:
“We have a unique opportunity to transform energy in New Mexico with the Energy Transition Act. Senate Bill 489 is bold, comprehensive legislation that will establish the state as a national leader in both renewable energy and address the causes of climate change, providing a pathway for a low-carbon energy transition away from coal and providing workforce training and transition assistance to affected communities.”
The legislation, once signed, will commit the state to achieving zero-carbon electricity from public utilities by 2045. The bill also imposes interim renewable energy targets of 50 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2040. The state has work to do to raise its renewables from about 20 percent of electricity generation today to 80 percent by 2040.
“I have full confidence that the technology is going to advance so we can reach these goals. We didn’t say 80 percent tomorrow; we said 80 percent in 20 years.” – Sanders Moore
The new bill secures the clean energy commitments that advocates have been striving to pass through to legislation, and it also enables Public Service Co. of New Mexico to walk away from its remaining coal assets without a major financial loss. More specifically, the bill allows utilities to securitize bonds to pay for the costs of the transition away from fossil-fueled electricity and it provides funding to support the communities that will be affected by the plant closures.
New Mexico is fortunate to have plenty of solar and wind resources, as well as opportunities for geothermal power. Some utilities purchase power from the Palo Verde nuclear plant in Arizona. This will still be allowed to continue under the carbon-free framework – as opposed to laws elsewhere that stipulate strictly renewables only. Meanwhile, the Green New Deal resolution has prompted Congress to discuss the bigger task of decarbonizing the nation overall.
