The Richardson Solution

Oil and Gas listen to Richardson's vision of a cleaner tomorrow

Richardson spoke today at an investers confernce in New York City for oil and gas.  Richardson didn't cowtow - he actually laid out his plan for weaning America off our oil addiction:

Calling dependence on foreign oil America's ``Achilles heel,'' the New Mexico governor outlined a broad plan for promoting energy independence in a keynote address at an oil and gas conference in New York sponsored by investment banking giant Bear Stearns.

In prepared remarks, Richardson set a goal of reducing oil imports by 40 percent and replacing liquid fuels with biofuels by 2025, and called for a 75 percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050.

``Our ability to drain the swamps of terrorism depends in part on our political will to change how we produce, distribute and consume energy,'' Richardson said. ``In the West, it's not just liberal college kids who ask what we are doing about global warming - it's the conservative farmers and ranchers whose way of living is at risk.''

The final segment really gets me.  Coloring terrorism, global warming and the political spectrum of American in the frame of renewable energy & energy security creates a vivid scene for any reader.  Renewable energy security is the future of our country. 

We could choose a candidate that has little to no experience moving government towards that better and cleaner tomorrow, or we could choose someone who has made the calls, politically innovated and seen results.

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.

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.

Renewable Energy, Present and Future

On BlogHer, Birdie Jaworski interviews a member of a New Mexico Energy Panel asking question relating to Governor Richardson's renewable energy policy and what he'd probably be like as president:

Birdie: Do you feel Richardson has been successful promoting the use of renewable energy resources?

Daniel: Yes, he most definitely has. In addition to providing tax incentives to individuals who incorporate solar heating and electric, and green building techniques, he has also led the way in opening doors for large scale renewable energy projects. In fact, a wind farm is going in not far from where you live, Birdie. Just north of you near Springer. Did you know that at one time an electric generating wind farm was proposed for Las Vegas, but the locals turned it down because it would be unsightly? This is the kind of attitude that needs to change, and Governor Richardson is the kind of leader who knows how to explain and show the value - in terms of both money and the environment - of renewable energy.

Birdie: How do you think Richardson would do as President, in terms of alternative energy?

Daniel: Because of his vision and experience in the real world, going all the way back to his Energy Secretary days, and through all of the political convincing he did of people who didn't get what he was saying at first in New Mexico, he's proven that he can succeed in this area. I think he'll make a great Solar President.

While we here in the blogosphere can wax poetic about the Governor's past or potential on renewable energy, it's nice to hear from an expert.  What I enjoyed the most was the discussion of how Richardson is the kind of guy that can work with all groups of people to get things done.  Wouldn't that be nice?  Check out the entire article - it goes into ways the Governor could move forward (which also happen to be his specific proposals) and some other issues with renewable energy.

Hmm...to be able to build consensus on one of the greatest national issues of our time...I wonder who else has the experience to do something like that?  Only one name comes to mind.

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?

Inaugural Themes Part 1: Renewable Energy

Bill Richardson was inaugurated for his second term and layed out some pretty impressive goals for New Mexico. This is the first in a 5-part series parsing his speech and the goals/themes he's layed out for future progress.

The first one is on Energy issues:

Our world is changing --a warming climate is a threat to our water, our livelihood, and our quality of life.

And while the federal government has done little on global warming, New Mexico has stepped forward to take the lead.

We became the first state to join the Chicago Climate Exchange and mandated some of the toughest goals in the nation to reduce our carbon emissions.

But, this threat also opens new opportunities.

New Mexico already leads the country as a clean energy state - and it's time to go further.

Now, we must move our economy from limited oil resources, to the unlimited resources of wind, biomass, geothermal and solar.

We can go from being an exporter of fossil fuels, to being an exporter of renewable energy.

We can and must build a whole new economy based on clean renewable energy.

TRS Focus:

1- Stepping into the void where the Federal government has failed sets him directly apart from the Senatorial Crew that are running for prez. Bill's done something and he's about to do more.

2 - By tying it into a regional strategy to become a mass-exporter of renewable energy is a clear and wonderful path for the state of New Mexico. Likely in the future, citizens of New Mexico will be gracious for such forward thinking leadership.

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.

Moving New Mexico Forward

Not resting on his laurels from his overwhelming victory, Bill Richardson has asked task forces to come together and discuss with the general community about how New Mexico can move forward.

Check out the main website at http://billrichardson2006.com/transition/

A quick snippet:

The objective of the Transition Team is to provide an evaluation of Governor   Richardson's key initiatives in five policy areas that will continue to Move New Mexico   Forward. The Transition Committee will be chaired by Ambassador Edward Romero   and Gayla Brumfield.

The Transition Committee will include five subcommittees that focus on the   following key areas:

• A Healthy New Mexico, chaired by Dr. Paul Roth, Executive     Vice President of UNM Health Science Center
• Making Schools Work, chaired by Governor Toney Anaya
• A Safer New Mexico, chaired by Carlsbad Mayor Bob Forrest
• Promoting and Growing New Mexico, chaired by Kim Sanchez-Rael,     general partner of Flywheel Ventures
• Protecting and Promoting New Mexico's Environment, chaired     by Jeff Sterba, CEO of PNM

This was followed with a series of community conversations around the state and Albuquerque designed to promote reciprocal civic dialogue regarding these issues.

While many potential 2008 candidates went straight into campaign mode (I know Bill was in NH last weekend, but that doesn't mean he lives there yet) Bill Richardson was starting to set the infrastructure in place to make his second term productive and meaningful.