The Richardson Solution

New Mexico - A renewable energy leader

The Governor signed two bills yesterday, both working together to assure long term renewable energy production and development in New Mexico:

Gov. Bill Richardson proclaimed Monday that by his signing of two bills, New Mexico has moved past California and reclaimed the title of the nation's renewable energy king.

The bills would create a new authority to finance and oversee the building of additional transmission lines (House Bill 418) and increase the renewable energy requirement for utilities operating in New Mexico (Senate Bill 418).

The two bills work together to increase both the generation and transmission of renewable energy, said Joanna Prukop, secretary of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department...

This year's bill would increase those requirements to 15 percent by 2015 and 20 percent by 2020. For rural co-ops, the requirements would be 5 percent by 2015 and 10 percent by 2020...

The Renewable Energy Transmission Authority would have the ability to issue bonds and exercise rights of eminent domain to build on New Mexico's existing transmission grid and to enter into agreements with other states.

Prukop said the first thing the Authority would do is look at small transmission projects to build existing energy transmission capacity within the state, and will then look to exporting energy to other states. She said the authority would also look at joining with multi-state transmissions projects already in the planning stages.

This sort of development is a huge boon to New Mexico and to regional renewable energy production.  Exciting projects like this will assure New Mexico will stay the "King" of renewable energy.  Having a transmission authority that will assure new renewable energy exchange or sell-off to other states will also mean investing in New Mexico's future.

How Richardson Supports the Troops

Bill Richardson, in his last State of the State address proposed this innovative policy:

Next, one group is making enormous sacrifices on behalf of our state, our country, and our freedom—brave New Mexicans serving in the U.S. military. We have done more than most states to show our gratitude. Let’s go a step further – Let’s eliminate the state’s income tax for active duty members of the military.  Period. More than 190-thousand retired military veterans have made New Mexico their home. Many of those veterans put their skills to work in second careers. I believe we should acknowledge their benefit to our state, and encourage more skilled veterans to work here.  I propose that we offer military retirees a 50 percent deduction of their earned income up to $50-thousand dollars.

    Now, both proposals are reaching fruition in the New Mexico Legislature. New Mexico supporting our troops:

Military retirees in New Mexico who are now working in other fields would get a tax break under a bill passed 59-1 Thursday in the House of Representatives. The bill would exempt 50 percent of earned income, up to a $50,000 total exemption, from the state's personal income tax. It would not apply to income from a military pension. The bill is expected to be about an $8.7 million hit to the state's tax base, according to the fiscal impact report. But Rep. Edward Sandoval, D-Albuquerque, argued that the tax exemption would attract highly qualified workers to the state. "I think this will go a long way toward to helping our economic development," Sandoval said. He said the bill could, for example, bring more trained health care workers to New Mexico. The bill was part of a package of tax cuts proposed by Gov. Bill Richardson. "As many as 12,000 taxpayers would qualify for this relief," Richardson said at the time. "We want to attract second-career military retirees to New Mexico."

Instead of just talking about supporting the troops with rhetoric, Bill Richardson is actually pushing forward with positive and innovative dual-purpose policies.  First, the policy rewards those that have served our nation and secondly,

...the military trains career service men and women in a variety of occupations that are in high demand in the state, particularly in the high-tech and health care fields.

Supporting the troops and also attracting highly qualified individuals to your state?  Sounds like a win-win policy to me. Don't forget that Richardson proposed and implemented the nation's first extended life insurance program for National Guard servicepersons:

Gov. Bill Richardson signed a bill making the state the first to underwrite $250,000 in life insurance for National Guard members. The measure provides reimbursement for life insurance for more than 4,000 New Mexico Guard members, about 400 of whom are in Iraq. The basic premium is about $16 a month, which would cost New Mexico an estimated $840,000. Mr. Richardson, a Democrat, said 21 states had contacted him about the program.

Seeing opportunity and room for growth, Richardson has pushed forward with very exciting proposals to support our women and men from the armed services while also benefiting New Mexico.  While many people can talk up supporting the troops, Richardson has made substantial efforts in trying to support them with his policies and his political capital.tr

Clovis Biodiesel Plant

Chalk up another renewable energy investment in the Land of Enchantment (or Enlightenment, as Richardson would say):

Clovis, New Mexico, has landed a second biodiesel fuel plant.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson has announced that Dallas-based American Renewable Fuels will build a plant capable of producing 75 (M) million gallons of biodiesel fuel each year.He says the plant will help the United States end its reliance on foreign oil...

Up to 100 people are expected to be employed during construction.

The plant will hire 40 full-time employees when it goes into operation.

If you haven't had a chance yet, make sure you head over to America for Richardson and watch the Guv's performance at the Nevada forum yesterday.  He did a great job (though I will admit, the whole crop of Democratic candidates is very strong) and he touched on this sort of thing by essentially saying:

"In New Mexico we've led the way because Governors actually do things."

Here, here.

Electronic Plant Moves to New Mexico

Talking about bringing the future to your state:

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson says his state will be home to a plant for Tesla Motors. The 35 (m) million dollar facility will produce all-electric, four-door, five-passenger sedans that will sell for at least 50 thousand dollars.

The California-based company says it will produce ten-thousand electric vehicles a year.

Now, I'm clearly not rich enough to afford one of these awesome vehicles.  But with plants like this springing up all over the country, it won't be long before we'll be seeing more and more totally electric vehicles for reasonable prices.

Also, the article notes 400 high tech jobs that will be coming to New Mexico.  Here, here.

Clean Energy in New Mexico

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.

Climate Change in New Mexico

We're about to get snow tonight (for the fifth week in a row) and maybe people will start to understand the effects of our behavior on our climate.  I'm not sure about it relating to climate change, though I know it's becoming a little excessive (and weird) to expect snow on Thursday like clockwork.

Lost in all the holiday traffic was this piece of new momentum arising from New Mexico:

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson has signed an executive order (2006-69) that specifies greenhouse gas emission reduction strategies to address climate change in New Mexico.

The order creates a state government implementation team tasked with ensuring policies from the order are carried out. These policies include:

• Creating a market-based greenhouse gas emissions registry and reduction program;

• Advancing carbon capture and sequestration technology;

• Mandating that state vehicles use mainly clean, renewable fuels;

• Proposing a one-time tax credit of up to 40% for the purchase, construction or retrofitting of alternative fuel filling stations;

• Promoting the use of manure from the dairy industry in power generation;

• Developing an education and outreach program on green buildings for those private sector builders; and

• Creating new procurement rules that ensure state government offices have energy efficient appliances.

This precedes the actual policy recommendations mentioned in the State of the State:

We have invested heavily in clean energies like wind, solar and biomass, while
requiring utilities to produce more of their energy through renewable sources.

We have led the fight against global warming—even when the federal
government has not.  We have followed the principles of the Kyoto treaty and mandated
some of the toughest emission reduction goals in the country.   

We have the potential to lead once more. We can, and should become the first
state in the country to use 100-percent renewable energy in government buildings.

Rather than wait for Washington, I propose adopting tough carbon emission
standards for new cars and trucks sold in New Mexico.  Tough standards will cut vehicle
emissions by 30% within the next ten years. 

I am also proposing an advanced coal tax incentive.   This will help ensure that
any new coal-fired power plant built in New Mexico will install state-of-the-art pollution
controls and achieve significant carbon dioxide reductions.

I ask this legislature to join me in transforming our schools into “green
buildings”—protecting our environment and saving energy costs.  We should also
provide tax credits to promote green offices and homes, create an Energy innovation fund
to develop clean energy projects, and give consumers a one-month tax holiday to
purchase energy-efficient appliances.   

And once again I propose a land conservation fund to support land, wildlife and
clean energy projects that create a legacy for future generations.   

Now this is what I'm talking about.  So many Senators in this race have little to no accomplishments that have affected people or furthered the progressive cause. 

Richardson on the other hand has made substantial efforts to produce serious change in the arena he now operates in.  The simple fact he has made such a large stride in this capacity speaks to his dedication and inner political strengths.  In a purple state such as this, he could have done nothing and pleased many.

Instead he did something (a lot of something, really) and is securing our environment for future generations.

How's about that for a solution?

State of the State

Here's a snapshot from the State of State address:

I believe we must expand the bounds of opportunity for every New Mexican.   

• Expanding opportunity means extending health care coverage, so the lives of our
citizens are not are limited by poor health and no health care.   

• It means investing for the long haul--into education, economic development, clean
energy, and reaping dividends for decades to come.   

• Expanded opportunity means protecting the needs of future generations for a
clean environment and sustainable water supply. 

• It means widening our economic base—so our oil and gas economy, expands to
renewable energy, film, tourism and high-tech—from our urban areas to our rural
main streets. 

• Most of all it means—an education system dedicated to learning, achievement,
and success.  So that every child gets a world-class education and enters the world
of work prepared to succeed. 

• Every New Mexican deserves a fair shot.   

We'll be combing through this in the next week in the same fashion as the Inaguaral Address. 

I expect we'll be hearing about the whole "I'm running for president thing" very shortly.

NM finds massive budget surplus

What do you know? Being fiscally responsible (and enjoying some great revenue streams) pays off:

Study the state's economic outlook, its revenue forecast, its gross receipts tax trends and one thing will be clear: Gov. Bill Richardson has some serious cash in the bank.

The money - a just-announced boost for the next fiscal year of $723 million more than this year - no doubt will help Richardson appease the wants of 112 lawmakers in the upcoming 60-day session...

Richardson already has outlined parts of his wish list for the 2007 session. He got some input on his health care, homeland security, education and energy ideas at a closed-door retreat with a group of policy advisers, consultants and former governors from New Mexico and across the country on Monday...

On the list from Republicans and Democrats: More police officers to enforce DWI laws. Additional cash in the trust fund for water projects. Millions more for Medicare, health care, teachers. Expedited income tax cuts. And overall, avoid creating new programs that will take money each year...

Richardson said he wants $100 million in tax cuts. The relief among other things is aimed at helping New Mexicans make paying for college more affordable, helping clean energy companies and assisting working families.

"The consistent strength of our economy gives me confidence that we can cut taxes, invest in our schools and make health care available to more New Mexicans, while maintaining prudent cash reserves," he said in a statement.

TRS Focus:

1 - Tax cutting that helps out regular folks and clean companies just makes sense. This is such an excellent frame for the national debate - not a tax raiser, but a tax invester - that usually falls along such predictable lines.

2 - Richardson should take the Governor's scapel and cut some program costs right now when he has the chance. Being fiscally responsible means making tought choices and he's done it in the past. He might as well prove his mettle even more now while he has the money and resources.

3 - Be innovative. Experiment with some new ideas at the local level to increase resource (energy, water) conservation or development controls. Again, he's been doing this for awhile but more can't hurt.