By Stephen Fischmann Our local electric utility, El Paso Electric (EPE), just submitted its 20-year operating plan for approval by the Public Regulation Commission. It’s a real wallet-buster for consumers, and a head-scratcher for anyone who follows the utility industry.
High e. Coli levels found in Rio Fernando
By Eric Patterson Water Sentinels — Rios de Taos has completed its 2015 monitoring schedule. We have added new members to our monitoring team. Disturbingly, we have found high levels of e. coli in several places in the Rio Fernando
New Mexico sues to block water protections
By Rachel Conn, Amigos Bravos interim director Gov. Susana Martinez’s administration has again jumped at an opportunity to diminish protections for our drinking water. In September, the EPA finalized a Clean Water Rule that clarifies that waters that were historically covered
Methane regulation: Time to act
Denise Fort, Research Professor, UNM School of Law; Chapter Energy Committee chair New Mexicans are well aware that we have the dubious honor of contributing to an enormous methane hot spot that hovers over the Four Corners Area. Methane is
El Paso Group forms Sierra Student Coalition
By Neysa Hardin, El Paso Group Sierra Student Coalition leader On Sept. 8, Americas High School Sierra Student Coalition partnered with the Chamizal National Memorial to celebrate International Literacy Day. SSC students performed a reader’s theater of the children’s story “The Campfire
State House panel asks tough questions on Gila diversion
By Dan Lorimier New Mexico’s interim Legislative Water and Natural Resources Committee met in August in Silver City to hear about the proposed Gila River diversion project. The public and many officials have objected to the project for several reasons:
PNM rate increase makes solar a better bet
By Shane Woolbright In my effort to keep Sierra Club members up to date on why they should install solar panels, the return on those panels has gotten much better due to the coming hikes that PNM will add to
Southern Group endorses Mayor Miyagishima
By Ken Newtson, Southern New Mexico Group The Las Cruces city elections, to be held on Nov. 3, include the mayoral race, three City Council races and a municipal-judge race. The Sierra Club Southern New Mexico Group has endorsed the presiding
Pajarito Group re-energizes together
By Jody Benson, Group newsletter editor What happened with the bag? Not enough of us showed up; Council didn’t have enough votes to pass the 10-cent fee; the Savethebaggers showed up in vocal droves. The motion that finally passed the Council
Think you can’t afford solar? Think again
By Craig O’Hare If you’re a PNM customer, around 90 percent of your electricity is coming from coal, nuclear and natural gas power plants hundreds of miles away. Why not have most of your electricity come via the clean, renewable