Clean Energy News

As the new home of NMPIRG's environmental work, Environment New Mexico can be contacted with any questions regarding this news release.

Developing New Mexico's immense clean and renewable resources would benefit the state's economy, environment, and reliability of its electricity system more than current plans for increasing development of fossil fuels. The New Mexico Public Interest Research Group (NMPIRG) Education Fund released a study today documenting the availability of energy efficiency measures and new renewable energy production as common-sense solutions to meet future electricity demand and reduce power plant pollution.

"In the short term and long term, energy efficiency and renewables are the best ways to make sure New Mexicans get a clean, reliable, and affordable supply of power," said Jeanne Bassett, Executive Director, NMPIRG Education Fund. "Continued over-dependence on fossil fuels is risky and harmful."

The new report, "Clean Energy Solutions: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in New Mexico," outlines the clean energy sources ready for development now, and explains why investing in them is a better choice than further investing in fossil fuels. In a state that produces 89 percent of its electricity using coal, the dirtiest of all electricity sources, increasing use of clean energy sources would dramatically reduce pollution, along with the environmental degradation and public health damage caused by that pollution.

The report also documents how development of clean energy sources, which are less expensive than coal and gas today with life-cycle costs included, will save New Mexican's more money in energy bills and grow the state's economy more than increased fossil fuel development.

By diversifying the state's electricity portfolio, renewable energy sources will create a more reliable electricity system for the state.

"With large scale wind farms now cost competitive it is time for New Mexico to diversity its energy generation and take advantage of the fact that we live in a state so rich in renewable energy resources." Said Michael McDiarmid, NM Wind Program Manager, NM Energy and Natural Resources Department.

Some highlights of the report's findings:

• In one year, New Mexico could reduce total electricity demand by 7.7 percent through cost-effective energy efficiency measures as demonstrated by several state agencies.
• New Mexico has the wind energy capacity to produce over three times the current total electricity generated in the state.
• New Mexico has the resources to become the solar powerhouse for the nation. As a first step, it could develop 100 mega-watts of solar thermal power.
• By 2010, power plant pollution would be reduced by 26 percent if these clean energy sources were developed instead of conventional sources.
• Development of renewable energy technologies create up to twenty-five times more jobs than new natural gas technologies. A comprehensive suite of policies encouraging clean energy sources would bring 4,200 more jobs to the state by 2010.
• The economy would grow more under a clean energy policy scenario than under the current energy policy scenario.

"This report shows the reality of a situation that many New Mexicans seem to realize intuitively -- that there are vast untapped resources for clean renewable power," added Bassett. "With cost-effective programs, we can move quickly toward a cleaner, more reliable, and more economical energy future."