NMIPL IN THE NEWS

Subvención para Eficiencia Energética en la Comunidad (CEED)

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Patrocinado por Rep. Kristina Ortez

HB37 – Community Energy Efficiency Development (CEED) Block Grant Act ayuda a mejorar el costo de las utilidades, reducir el cargo de energia,  y incrementar el acceso a familias de bajos ingresos en Nuevo Mexico. Los Nuevo Mexicanos que viven en areas rurales, de bajos recursos y otras comunidades gastan mas de sus ingresos en las utilidades. Aproximadamente, aquellos que viven bajo la linea de pobreza pagan 15% de sus ingresos en sus pagos de energia. Haciendo mejoraciones de eficiencia energética en hogares de bajos recursos pueden rebajar los costos de utilidades electricas para familias Nuevo Mexicanas, mejoran la calidad de los hogares, y ayudan que Nuevo Mexico llegue a su meta de zero-carbon electrico.

Desafortunadamente, Nuevo Mexico esta detras de otros estados que estan adelante en los fondos de mejoraciones de energia eficiente en los hogares de bajos recursos. 26 Estados proveen al menos el doble de la cantidad de inversiones en eficiencia energética per cápita a traves de fondos estatales y de utilidades. Ahora es tiempo de que el estado de Nuevo Mexico invierta en servicios que ayuden a las familias de bajos recursos a reducir sus cargos de energia, y al mismo tiempo, apoyando a que el estado alcanze sus metas climaticas.

El CEED Block Grant Act ofrece varias soluciones para reducir los cargos de energia para las familias Nuevo Mexicanas de bajos recursos y alcanzar nuestras metas climaticas:

  • Community Energy Efficiency Development (CEED) grant fund. El Community Efficient Energy Development (CEED) Block Grant provee fondos para comunidades locales a reducir el costo de energia a personas de bajos recursos, crear trabajos y construir capacidad en las comunidades que mas lo necesitan. Este fondo establecido por EMNRD, podra proveer subsidios a gobiernos locales y Tribales y la Mortgage Finance Authority (MFA), para hacer mejoramientos de energia eficiente a comunidades afectadas en apoyo con organizaciones locales en las comunidades. CEED complementa los programas estatales y federales y extiende a el numero de familias Nuevo Mexicanas viviendo en pobreza que reciben asistencia.
    • CEED le da la flexibilidad a agencias locales para que determinen que es mas necesario en su area. Cada proyecto puede escoger entre lo mas sencillo como reemplazar los accesorios o maquinas viejas o pueden ofrecer reacondicionar residencias. CEED es una adicion necesaria para programas condicionados federales que son “un tamaño para todos” que provee climatizacion a restricciones de costos efectivos.
  • Requerimientos de Reportes de las companias de utilidades. Demasiados Nuevo Mexicanos no tienen access a el agua o la electricidad en sus hogares – y de hecho no tenemos la informacion de cuantos. Esta ley requiere reportes de atrasos, desconecciones, y acceso, y requiere que el PRC tenga audiencias y requiera un incremento de afordabilidad y acceso.
  • Eficiencia Energetica para todos. Accion de el PRC para mover nuestra meta de alcanzar 100% afordabilidad energetica para familias de bajos recursos por el año 2050.
  • Costos autorizados de bajos ingresos. El PRC tendra la autoridad de aprobar los costos de bajos recursos, proveyendo otra herramienta para incrementar la afordabilidad energetica a largo plazo.

Para mayor información o si tiene pregutas, pongase en contacto con:   Tammy Fiebelkorn, SWEEP
tfiebelkorn@swenergy.org    505-410-3884

 

HB6: The Clean Future Act Bill

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Sponsors: Rep. Nathan Small, Sen. Siah Correa Hemphill; On the Governor’s Call

As New Mexicans experience prolonged drought, devastating forest fires, unprecedented heat waves, and pollution from industries right here at home, we must prioritize just climate solutions that protect our people and preserve our air, water, and climate. In addition to protecting our health and tackling the climate impacts we’re already seeing

across the state, the clean-energy transition is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to diversify our economy, raise new revenue, and create good jobs in growing industries along the way. For our climate, our health, and our economy it’s time to open new doors to a clean future for every New Mexico community.

The Clean Future Act sets ambitious requirements of a 50% reduction of climate pollution in New Mexico by 2030 and at least 90% by 2050. Because New Mexico’s carbon emissions have increased since the 2005 baseline, this would represent a 64% reduction of current levels of climate pollution by 2030. To achieve this, New Mexico will have to begin a thoughtful transformation to clean energy and away from fossil fuels. A recent Gridlab report shows that to reach the 2030 limit, New Mexico must achieve:

  • 95% pollution reduction in the power sector● More than 90% reduction in upstream oil and gas methane emissions
  • At least 55% electric vehicles as a percentage of new passenger vehicle sales
  • 20-30% emissions reductions from commercial and residential buildings
  • 70% electric furnaces and water heaters as a percentage of new sales
  • Full compliance with emissions reductions in all sectors

Key elements of the Clean Future Act:

  • Requires the state to reduce emissions 50% below 2005 levels by 2030. While emissions have increased since 2005, this would represent a 64% reduction from current levels by 2030. The bill does not allow offsets to meet 2030 target.
  • Requires the state to achieve net-zero emissions in 2050 and beyond. Net zero means that any remaining emissions are offset by reductions elsewhere that have been achieved otherwise. Offsets cannot exceed 10% of 2005 levels.
  • Prioritizes consultation with overburdened communities to support climate policies that address disproportionate impacts and improve our understanding of how climate change affects those communities.
  • Requires annual reports from state agencies on total emissions, emissions reductions, impacts of climate change on disproportionately impacted communities, and whether additional policies to reduce emissions are necessary.
  • Requires EMNRD and NMED to submit reports on state’s progress toward climate targets, including an inventory of statewide emissions, with a focus on environmental impacts and progress in disproportionately impacted communities.
  • Ensures regulations initiated by a certain date by requiring the state Environment Department petition Environmental Improvement Board to create rules to reduce emissions from sources covered by federal Air Quality Control Act.

Areas for improvement:

  • Legislation must prioritize consultation and protection for overburdened communities, not just in reporting and around offsets but in the rulemaking for direct, early carbon reductions.
  • How greenhouse-gas emissions are defined will be critical to facilitate effective regulation and achieve emission reductions consistent with a stable climate future. The definition in the current draft should be expanded and clarified and needs to ensure that regulators have all necessary authority to enforce targets.
  • Legislation should require NMED to initiate rulemakings earlier than 2025 to support meeting 2030 targets.
  • EMNRD should complete its initial climate-change report more quickly, in time to support further action in the 2023 legislative session.

FAQ

  • Does bill create a market? No. Bill does not create a market or give regulators authority to do so. Instead, bill creates greenhouse gas pollution limits and requires Environmental Improvement Board to adopt regulations to meet limits.
  • Why does the bill mention fees? The bill allows collection of fees from polluters to cover administrative costs of regulation. The bill states explicitly that fees may only be used to support administrative cost.
  • Is there cap and trade in the bill? No. The bill includes caps on emissions but does not include a trade component by authorizing or creating a market.
  • Is an offset inherently traded? Offsets can just be accounted for and applied, not necessarily traded.
  • How much of total emissions reductions can be achieved through offsets? Offsets cannot be used in place of direct emissions reductions to hit the 50% target by 2030. The extent of offset use on the path between 2030 and net zero by 2050 will be determined in subsequent regulations, but the maximum emissions they could displace in 2050 is 7.5 million to 7.8 million metric tons—representing 10% of 2005-level emissions, which are about 75.6 million metric tons.
  • Why might offsets be needed for the last 10% of emissions? Some emissions sources are difficult to decarbonize directly, such as aviation and cement manufacturing. While we hope to find ways to decarbonize these emissions sources directly, offsets may be necessary as we pursue those solutions.
  • Could offsets justify continued pollution in low-income communities and communities of color past 2050? [something here about what is in the legislation or should be in the legislation to prevent this from happening] Offsets should be about allowing time to figure out difficult-to-decarbonize sectors—and never about justifying emissions in communities that are already disproportionately burdened by pollution. In this legislation and subsequent regulations, climate advocates are committed to strengthening equity provisions and ensuring the greatest possible pollution reductions in low-income communities and communities of color, both in the near term and by 2050.
  • Do we know what 2005 emissions levels were? Inventory sets the 2005 baseline at 75.6 million metric tons. Emissions have increased by about 50% between 2005 and today.
  • How does this bill address oil and gas in people’s backyard now? Modeling by GridLab/Evolved Energy suggests that to meet the 2030 target, methane emissions will need to be reduced by on the order of 95%.

Key Talking Points: Raising Up Environmental Rights in New Mexico

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NM Environmental Rights Amendment (aka the NM Green Amendment)

Key Talking Points: Raising Up Environmental Rights in New Mexico


SECTION 1. It is proposed to amend Article 2 of the constitution of New Mexico by adding a new section to read:
A. The people of the state have the natural, inherent and inalienable right to a clean and healthy environment, including water, air, soil, flora, fauna, ecosystems, and climate, and to the protection of the natural, cultural, scenic and healthful qualities of the environment.

B. The protection of the state’s environment is hereby declared to be of fundamental importance to health, safety and the public interest.

C. The state, including its political subdivisions, shall serve as trustee of the natural resources of New Mexico, and shall conserve, protect and maintain these resources for the benefit of all New Mexicans, including present and future generations.

D. The provisions of this section are self–executing and shall be enforced by equitable remedies.

SECTION 2. It is proposed to amend Article 20 of the constitution of New Mexico by repealing Section 21.

SECTION 3. The amendment proposed by this resolution shall be submitted to the people for their approval or rejection at the next general election or at any special election prior to that date that may be called for that purpose

Industrial externalities, damaging development, and misplaced government decision–making have allowed the inalienable rights of New Mexico residents to clean air, plentiful and pure water, a stable climate, and healthy environments to be violated. Despite state environmental laws, regulations and agencies, New Mexico water, air, soils, landscapes, and special natural spaces have been allowed to degrade in ways that are harming every aspect of people’s lives. An effective Constitutional amendment could help change that.

A Green Amendment would constitutionally mandate that New Mexico government officials protect the environmental rights of all residents, including present and future generations. The self–executing amendment will allow legal redress when this right is violated by government action or inaction.

Establishing an enforceable environmental right will drive better government decision– making at all levels of government and will prevent situations or conditions in which land becomes too contaminated, water becomes too polluted, and air too dirty to support healthy lives, including a healthy economy.

In order to obtain this highest level of protection in New Mexico, a proposed amendment must pass by majority vote through both houses of the New Mexico Legislature after which the people of New Mexico will be given the opportunity to vote on whether or not their right to pure water, clean air and a healthy environment will be protected by the state constitution.

The New Mexico Green Amendment will amend Article II of the Constitution to recognize the environmental rights of all people of New Mexico by protecting the “right to a clean and healthy environment, including pure water, clean air, healthy ecosystems, and a stable climate, and to the preservation of the natural, cultural, scenic and healthful qualities of the environment” for both present and future generations.

A NM Green Amendment will:
√ … Place the rights to clean water and air, a stable climate and healthy environments legally on
par with the rights to bear arms, to free elections, to free speech, freedom of religion and the
rights of victims of serious crimes to be treated with respect, fairness and dignity;
√ … Ensure that every government official in the state will work to advance environmental protection at every level of the decision making process, rather than waiting until the end of the process when the focus is necessarily on permitting rather than prevention. All government action, including the passage of laws, regulations, policies and programs is done in service to advancing the state constitution – government officials cannot change or violate the constitution, they must honor and implement it.
√ … Ensure government decisions and action prioritize environmental protection and pollution prevention as compared to prioritizing pollution permitting and management;
√ … Fill the gaps in environmental laws and provide a legal basis for securing water, air and environmental protection even in those situations where there is no state law or regulation to provide protection;
√ … Strengthen environmental justice by ensuring all communities – regardless of race, ethnicity or income – have the same rights to clean water and air and healthy environments and the duty of all government officials to protect all communities equitably;
√ … Protect the cultural values of indigenous communities to a healthy environment, protect sacred lands from environmental desecration, and honor traditional cultural connection to healthy natural resources;
√ … Ensure consideration of cumulative impacts as part of decisionmaking so the additive impact
of new pollution/degradation is considered;
√ … Empower communities to address unconstitutional infringement on environmental rights such as clean water and air, by providing constitutional grounding for their advocacy and access to the courts for redress;
√ … Strengthen the healthy economic growth that avoids the costs of environmental harm including illness, cleanup costs, flooding, drought & declining property values by ensuring government laws, regulations, decisions, permits and actions avoid environmental degradation rather than responding to it after–the–fact;
√ … Strengthen environmental protections beyond Article XX Section 21 by explicitly recognizing an independent enforceable, right of the people to a clean and healthy environment, including the cultural and human health values of the environment; mandating a focus on preventing environmental pollution and degradation throughout government decisionmaking rather than a focus on control of harm; raising up environmental rights to the constitution’s bill of rights which brings additional legal strength for environmental protection and environmental justice including requiring equitable protection of environmental rights regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status; mandating consideration and protection of the rights of future generations; and ensuring informed government decisionmaking is a constitutional pre–requisite to taking action that could infringe upon environmental rights. 1
Visit New Mexico Green Amendment website for more info & resources

1 Article XX, § 21, Pollution Control reads: The protection of the state’s beautiful and healthful environment is hereby declared to be of fundamental importance to the public interest, health, safety and the general welfare. The legislature shall provide for control of pollution and control of despoilment of the air, water and other natural resources of this state, consistent with the use and development of these resources for the maximum benefit of the people.

 

Carlsbad Current Argus. Sep. 3, 2020 New Mexico finalizes oil and gas wastewater regulations, lawmakers hear testimony (Rev. Nick King Quoted)

Las Cruces Sun-News,  Aug. 19, 2020, Report on solving climate crisis brings hope (Co-authored by Michael Sells, Clara Sims and Edith Yanez)

Santa Fe New Mexican, Aug. 15, 2020 Vote your values this November  (Commentary by Larry Rasmussen and Tabitha Arnold)