New Mexico energy gets cleaner and cleaner everyday:
New Mexico is already on the bandwagon, requiring such big utilities as Public Service Company of New Mexico to sell 5 percent renewable power starting last year. The amount rises to 10 percent by 2011.
Gov. Bill Richardson, however, wants more. A bill he's hoping to get through the Legislature calls for the number to rise steadily before topping out at 25 percent in 2021. Smaller utilities and rural electric cooperatives are also included in the legislation, with their quota jumping to 5 percent by 2015 to 10 percent by 2020.
"The governor has made making New Mexico the clean-energy state a cornerstone of his actions as governor," said Richardson spokesman Jon Goldstein.
It says a lot about a Governor that is constantly pushing for higher percentedges of renewable power in his state. Making smaller power companies come on-line is also key.
I enjoyed this bit of innovation (because it's not just about solutions, it's about innovations):
Richardson is so confident in New Mexico's potential to generate renewable power that he's pushing a companion proposal that would encourage the development of a clean-power export business.
Under the plan, the state would create a power transmission authority to act as a sort of coordinator and possibly builder of new power lines. Joanna Prukop, secretary of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, said the effort would aim primarily at one mammoth western state: California.
The state authority would, in theory, connect to wind turbines or solar arrays in New Mexico and break even by charging the companies for using the lines. The lines would deliver the juice to the West Coast and create industry here.
"Their power generation needs are (an additional) 2,000 megawatts a year for the foreseeable future," enough for something like 2 million homes, Prukop said.
"That is a huge market opportunity for us," she said.
Talk about some revenue potential. As California turns to renewable energy for it's excess needs, a governor with foresight made sure that his state was there to provide the clean power, creating a whole new revenue stream to invest in New Mexico.
If Governor Richardson tryly cares about the envirnment and renewable energy in New Mexicio, he should put his money where his mouth is, and insist that the Santa Fe County baord of commissioners act responsibly towards their constitutents and the land. Tecon Energy, which is probably actively lobbying the Governor, WILL destroy the Galisteo basin if they are given the unhampered access to the area promised by the new draft ordinance. If a ballot referendum were possible, Governor Richardson would find that virtually the entire county is opposed to Tecton's activities. Giving away the county to oil and gas is regressive and short-sighted, at best. The whole deal reeks of corruption.
If he doesn't want to get his hands dirty, the Governor would be well advised to investigate the special relationships between certain commissioners and Tecton, particularly Steve Ross, Virginia Vigil, and Paul Campos.
Posted by: Mary Springfels | December 20, 2007 at 07:57 PM