{"id":15635,"date":"2010-04-11T22:03:05","date_gmt":"2010-04-12T04:03:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=15635"},"modified":"2010-04-11T22:03:12","modified_gmt":"2010-04-12T04:03:12","slug":"emissions-cap-will-hinder-economic-growth-in-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2010\/04\/emissions-cap-will-hinder-economic-growth-in-new-mexico\/","title":{"rendered":"Emissions cap will hinder economic growth in New Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Harry Montoya<\/p><\/div>\n

While significant advancements are being made on a daily basis around the globe in\u00a0alternative energy development\u00a0from a myriad of sources including solar, wind, geothermal, hydrogen and others, our modern energy consuming society is still not at the point where we can cut ourselves off from traditional fossil fuels.<\/p>\n

The recent decision by the Obama administration to expand oil and gas development and exploration on the United States Outer Continental Shelf acknowledges this fact. In his announcement, President Obama stated<\/a> that this approach is \u201cpart of a broader strategy that will move us from an economy that runs on fossil fuels and foreign oil to one that relies on homegrown fuels and clean energy. The only way this transition will succeed is if it strengthens our economy in the short term and the long term. To fail to recognize this reality would be a mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I believe the operative words in the president\u2019s announcement are \u201ceconomy\u201d and \u201creality,\u201d especially as they pertain to efforts underway by the New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board (EIB) and\u00a0New Energy Economy\u00a0to establish a\u00a0carbon emissions\u00a0cap that is 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. Given the current economic realities of the\u00a0global recession\u00a0and the reality that we cannot make the switch from fossil fuels to clean energy overnight, the proposed emissions cap will have dire consequences for our economy here in New Mexico.<\/p>\n

Such a cap, if imposed here, would force our domestic statewide exploration to other states that don\u2019t have an emissions cap. In fact, the proposed cap is more stringent than anything even being considered on the federal level.<\/p>\n

As a candidate for commissioner of public lands, I join several industry groups, legislators and Lt. Gov. Diane Denish who have recognized this, and I add my voice to the opposition. We need a reasonable and measured approach to our energy dependence; crippling New Mexico\u2019s economy to achieve an unreasonable goal does not seem to me to be\u00a0sound public policy.<\/p>\n

Develop clean energy opportunities<\/h3>\n

Key to solving our dependence on foreign oil is full development of renewable energy opportunities. If anything, the biggest takeaway message from the president\u2019s announcement should be that we re-double our efforts to explore and develop clean energy opportunities that already abound in New Mexico.<\/p>\n

Our children in New Mexico own 9 million acres of state trust lands. Revenues generated on these lands from energy production and other activities go back into the classroom to support our\u00a0public education systems. Of the many duties and responsibilities given to the commissioner of public lands by our
\nConstitution and statutes, I believe generating revenues for our schools, universities and state hospitals to be chief among them.<\/p>\n

It was recently reported in Socorro that drilling crews dug a 1,100 foot exploratory well and found water heated by geothermal sources deep under the earth\u2019s surface. The local newspaper reports<\/a> that the water \u201ccould potentially be used to heat every building on the main campus of\u00a0New Mexico Tech, eliminating virtually all use of\u00a0natural gas\u00a0at a cost savings to taxpayers of around $500,000 a year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, just imagine similar\u00a0alternative energy projects\u00a0located adjacent to other universities, schools, teen centers or clinics throughout the state.<\/p>\n

Seemingly limitless alternative energy sources<\/h3>\n

So, why can\u2019t we look at a scenario like the Socorro example where energy developed from renewable sources on state trust lands can be generated for and sold to adjacent public schools at a lower rate than conventional\u00a0fossil fuel sources? At the same time, participating schools would develop a robust renewable energy curriculum to educate students on the science and practical applications of\u00a0renewable energy production.<\/p>\n

As a candidate for commissioner of public lands, I view this as a win-win situation and, when elected, I would convene a collaborative working group of legislators, utilities, school officials and the state\u2019s Renewable Energy Transmission Authority to explore the feasibility of this concept.<\/p>\n

Our state\u2019s seemingly limitless\u00a0alternative energy sources\u00a0have made us the envy of the nation. Let\u2019s develop innovative partnerships that will make\u00a0New Mexico schools\u00a0and taxpayers benefit economically, ramp up renewable energy production on state trust lands, and help ensure that the eventual road to\u00a0energy independence\u00a0is paved and ready for travel.<\/p>\n

Montoya<\/em><\/a> is a\u00a0Santa Fe County commissioner\u00a0and Democratic candidate for state land commissioner.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Given the current economic realities of the global recession and the reality that we cannot make the switch from fossil fuels to clean energy overnight, the proposed state emissions cap will have dire consequences for our economy here in New Mexico.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":571,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1192,16],"tags":[108,119,107],"class_list":["post-15635","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary","category-guest-columns","tag-2010-election","tag-energy-policy","tag-roundhouse"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15635","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/571"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15635"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15635\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15635"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15635"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15635"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}