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Executive Summary
As the new home of NMPIRG's environmental work, Environment New Mexico can be contacted with any questions regarding this report.
As energy markets struggle for stability, state officials have the opportunity for a fundamental reassessment of long-term energy policy. We can now choose alternative fuel sources and new technologies to clean up our future. Ample clean, renewable resources and energy efficiency technologies can provide us with stable, reliable, and cost-effective electricity while reducing pollution.
Traditional Power Production Promotes Global Warming and Damages Public Health
Today’s electric power industry is the most polluting industry in the nation. The electric power industry alone is responsible for 53% of New Mexico’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, the principle cause of global warming.
Power plants are also the largest industrial source of pollution that causes severe public health damage. New Mexico power plants are responsible for 45% of the state’s emissions of sulfur dioxide, 47% of its emissions of nitrogen oxide, and 64% of its emissions of mercury. The New Mexico electric industry emits 11 tons of CO2 more per person each year than the U.S. average.
Clean Energy Can Grow Rapidly in the Next Decade
Renewables have advanced technologically and commercially to the point where they are now ready for wide-scale development, and there are still many opportunities for efficiency improvements. Huge untapped potential exists at both the state and national levels. Economic analysis and technological considerations suggest that the following targets are both reasonable and desirable.
• Renewable energy sources could provide 15% of the total electricity for the state by 2010. Nearly all of this potential remains untapped today, with coal and nuclear power meeting 89% of New Mexico’s power needs.
Wind power is the renewable technology the state could develop the quickest. 1,340 peak MW of New Mexico’s 166,000 MW potential could come online by 2010.
New Mexico has the resources to become the solar powerhouse for the nation. As a first step, it could develop 100 MW of solar thermal power, increasing the contribution of solar thermal power in the U.S. by 28%. The U.S. Geological Survey ranked New Mexico second among the states for geothermal potential. By 2010, 137 MW of its 2,700 MW potential could come online.
• If the entire state were to emulate the performance of state agencies investing in cost-effective energy efficiency measures, New Mexico could reduce anticipated total electricity demand by 7.7% within a year.
• By 2010, 125,000 MW of renewable energy capacity could be operational nationally, enough to replace 80 large fossil fuel power plants.
• Policies promoting energy efficiency could cut the nation’s electricity demand by 15%, saving 72,000 average MW annually.
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