By Kira Jones And Lauren Ketcham
Community Action New Mexico and Environment New Mexico
New
Mexicans can expect to face unprecedented energy costs this winter,
costs which are unlikely to come down any time soon. For many, the rise
in energy costs has outstripped the growth in income, resulting in home
energy bills that are simply out of reach.
Gov. Bill Richardson recently proposed that the Legislature take up
a $200 million Cash Assistance Relief Effort (CARE) stimulus package
during the special session convening today.
Unfortunately, as currently conceived, only 2 percent of this
surplus money, or $4 million, would be spent on energy efficiency, a
long-term solution for New Mexico's ratepayers. An additional $4
million would be spent on the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program, or
LIHEAP. None of it would be spent to promote clean, renewable energy,
which would lessen our dependence on increasingly expensive, risky and
dirty energy sources like oil, gas and coal.
An energy affordability gap largely untouched by current policies,
practices, and funding measures deserves more attention. Given energy
pricing trends and statewide poverty levels, the gap will only continue
to worsen, potentially impacting the health and safety of hundreds of
thousands of New Mexicans.
Investments in energy-efficient homes, appliances and vehicles pay
back over time, permanently lessening our dependence on high-cost
energy sources, saving people money on their bills and at the gas
station, and helping to reduce emissions that are contributing to
global warming.
On average, weatherization reduces heating bills by 32 percent and
overall utility costs by $358 per year at current prices. Renewable
energy creates thousands of high-quality new jobs (twice as many as
fossil fuel energy production), stimulates billions of dollars in
economic investment, and keeps our money in the local economy.
As proposed, Richardon's CARE package would pay rebates directly to
taxpayers, offer expanded tax holidays, and give more money to school
districts to combat the high cost of gas.
Although this is an attractive political quick fix, without
investing in long-term solutions to our rising energy prices, these
rebates will go right into people's gas tanks, and New Mexicans will be
right back where they started, facing unaffordable energy costs. There
is nothing for New Mexico to gain by postponing a more bold, committed,
and comprehensive approach to energy efficiency and affordability for
all.
Energy efficiency, weatherization and conservation measures need
more than short-term, token support. As an energy-producing state, we
owe it to ratepayers to secure a safe, clean and affordable energy
economy. We urge the governor and the Legislature to use the special
session as an opportunity to create real, long-term solutions to New
Mexico's rising energy prices. The outcome will reflect who we are,
what we collectively care about, and what we want for New Mexico's
children, families, and communities.
Kira Jones works for The Energy Project, a Community Action New
Mexico initiative committed to making home energy affordable. Lauren
Ketcham works for Environment New Mexico.
