New Mexico Legislature Advances Bill for 100 Percent Clean Energy by 2045

A bill introduced by Senator Jacob Candelaria, a Democrat, which seeks to make New Mexico’s electricity generation 100 percent carbon-free by 2045 passed the eight-member Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee, with two Republican members voting against the measure.

Known as the Energy Transition Act, it would require the state’s utilities to derive at least 50 percent of their electricity from renewable sources like solar and wind by 2030 and 80 percent by 2040 while the remaining share would come from zero-carbon sources by 2045.

Since the Midterm elections last year, New Mexico finds itself on the shortlist of states primed for an upward revision to its renewable portfolio standard target with the election of Democrat Michelle Lujan-Grisham as governor. Lujan-Grisham won on a platform that includes support for an ambitious goal like the one proposed in this bill. In addition, the governor has joined a Democratic legislature that attempted to pass bills that would boost renewable energy in the state, particularly solar, but these measures were ultimately vetoed by then-Governor Susana Martinez, Republican.

The current target for major utilities is to source 20 percent of electricity supplies from renewable sources by 2020.