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Policy Blueprint Unveiled at Renewable Energy and Clean Technology Conference

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September 30, 2011 • Las Cruces, New Mexico

Allan Oliver

On September 30th, the New Mexico Green Chamber of Commerce and clean-energy business leaders from across the state unveiled a policy platform to help New Mexico grow its green economy at the first-ever statewide Renewable Energy and Clean Technology Conference. Held at the Rio Grande Theater in Las Cruces, the conference drew more than 200 participants from industry, government, higher education, and research laboratories; as well as federal, state, and local policy-makers.

New Mexico’s clean economy already makes up 5.9% of the state’s private-sector employment and supports more than 35,800 jobs. This sector has been growing steadily and supporting New Mexicans with good-paying jobs, but the future of our economy will depend on whether we can protect the policies and incentives that encourage a transition to cleaner sources of energy and advance clean technologies.

In anticipation of the conference, the New Mexico Green Chamber interviewed and met with dozens of renewable energy, clean technology, biofuels companies and industry associations in New Mexico and developed a common-sense policy platform to advance opportunities in the clean economy.

Their multiple recommendations to state and federal policy-makers included:

(See full list of recommendations in the previous article, “Policy Blueprint Unveiled at Renewable Energy and Clean Technology Conference.”)

  • Protect and expand the New Mexico Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), and ensure that it is predictable and supports New Mexico small businesses and job creation.
  • Keep incentives for New Mexico’s solar, wind, biofuels, geothermal, green building, biomass and clean tech to attract new companies and grow local businesses.
  • Support responsible development of renewable energy on public lands.
  • Protect and extend the state and federal programs that support New Mexico biofuels companies like the federal Renewable Fuels Standard 2, USDA loan guarantees and the “1603” program, and the state B5 biodiesel program.

Like last Legislative session, the New Mexico Green Chamber of Commerce is anticipating several efforts in the legislature to rollback the RPS and reduce the amount of renewable energy generated by our public utilities. In October, PNM was before the Public Regulation Commission asking for approval to not meet the 10 percent renewable energy standard by 2011. Both of these efforts would eliminate jobs in rural and urban parts of our state and hurt one of the few fast-growing segments of our economy in the midst of a recession.

Companies participating in these roundtables urged that utilities be more transparent in their budget calculations, and implement the RPS program as the Legislature intended. But while every New Mexican pays for energy through their rates, many times utilities use out-of state contractors and manufacturers for the RPS program. New Mexico’s renewable companies interviewed urged that our political leaders incentivize the use of in-state contractors and equipment manufactured in New Mexico for energy projects to help create additional jobs.

These renewable energy business leaders also made it clear that to keep their businesses moving, the existing federal and state incentives need to remain in place. New Mexico’s renewable companies made it clear that they don’t see a need for incentives to be in place forever. For example, the solar-industry sector asked to keep incentives in place for only the next 4 to 5 years. With rising consumer demand and falling prices, solar will be competitively priced by 2016—if not before.

Conference keynote speaker Interior Department Senior Adviser Alan Gilbert echoed another key policy recommendation in his talk, saying “Encouraging new sources of renewable energy for our country on our public lands is a high priority for President Obama and Secretary Salazar, both for the energy people will be able to use and for the jobs these new and important businesses will bring.”

After the conference, Tim Zenk, Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Sapphire Energy also outlined the need for collaborative leadership on a state and national level. “Sapphire Energy’s state of the art algae-based fuel facilities in Las Cruces and Columbus exemplify the positive effects New Mexico’s clean-tech industry can have on the regional economy as we continue to expand and add jobs. But in order to speed commercial expansion of our algae-based fuel facilities, state and federal policymakers must work hand-in-hand to develop policies that encourage continued growth in the algae industry.”

These clean-tech and renewable energy business leaders asked for short-term investments, not permanent subsidies. They believe that any public investment should have a strong return in job creation and new tax revenue. They asked for a level playing field for their business, not favoritism. Their recommendations do not undermine existing jobs, but rather create new jobs.

Most of all, New Mexico’s renewable businesses asked for leadership and bold action now, when New Mexico can seize its competitive advantage and become the national leader in the production of clean energy and the good-paying jobs that support it.

Allan Oliver is CEO of the NMGCC. Oliver served as the NM Economic Development Department’s Secretary overseeing the Office of Mexican affairs, the Office of International Trade, and the Office of Science and Technology. He was also Gov. Richardson’s Director of Cabinet Affairs, Deputy Communications Director, and policy advisor.

The New Mexico Green Chamber of Commerce is a non-partisan association with over 1,200 business members dedicated to advocating on behalf of clean energy, seizing the green business advantage, and supporting local economies. The NM Green Chamber of Commerce members believe that responsible business invests in people, protects air, land and water, and creates long-term sustainable profits.


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