NM groups to lawmakers:  Fossil-fueled hydrogen a climate threat, not a solution
A coalition of New Mexico community, environmental, and justice organizations warned state and federal lawmakers of the risks of diving head-first into fossil-fueled hydrogen projects. The groups’ letter provides guidance on the context and safeguards that must be enacted before hydrogen projects are considered in the San Juan Basin, and in New Mexico generally. The oil and gas industry has lobbied for billions in taxpayer funds for hydrogen in the coming federal infrastructure bill, and states, including New Mexico, are scrambling to win those funds for “hydrogen hubs.” But hydrogen derived from fossil gas presents significant climate and health dangers, driving new methane, carbon dioxide and other emissions as well as a massive new market for fracked gas, just when ...
Senator Heinrich Signals Supports for Ending Fossil Fuel Subsidies
Senator Martin Heinrich released a letter yesterday to several environmental groups confirming that he supports ending federal subsidies to oil and gas companies. Heinrich’s message came in response to a letter from environmental groups and lawmakers across the state, who have been urging lawmakers to take action on subsidies as part of the upcoming spending packages ...
New Mexico Lawmakers and Environmentalists Demand Senators Heinrich and Luján End Fossil Fuel Subsidies
Nearly a month after delivering a letter to New Mexico Sens. Martin Heinrich (D) and Ben Ray Luján (D), lawmakers and environmental advocates held a press conference to demand a response from the senators and a commitment to oppose the inclusion of fossil fuel subsidies in the federal budget reconciliation package.  ...
image of Oil and gas fields near Chaco
The U.S. Interior Department issued a statement on August 16 announcing that it will fight the Louisiana U.S. District Court judge’s injunction on its oil and gas leasing moratorium but comply with the judge’s order to resume federal oil and gas lease sales ...
Community secures health, climate concessions on Newman 6
On August 17, the Chaparral Coalition for Community Health and the Environment, the Sierra Club, and Earthworks (the Community Groups) reached an agreement with El Paso Electric (EPE) that will substantially reduce air pollution in El Paso and southern New Mexico. The agreement will temporarily block new fossil fuel power plant construction while pushing EPE toward a clean energy future ...
Report analyzes energy equity in Western states' climate policy
A national report on Wednesday laid out a path for environmental justice in New Mexico that avoids the potential disconnects between energy equity and climate policy ...
1,000 New Mexicans urge New Mexico to start Clean Cars rulemaking immediately 
As the Environmental Improvement Board prepares to meet 7/23/21 to decide whether to approve a petition by community groups to start a rulemaking to adopt advanced Clean Cars standards in New Mexico, New Mexicans are urging them to move swiftly ...
NM is stalling on Clean Cars: Let's get them started
New Mexico has pledged to create Clean Cars standards to tackle the climate emergency — but the state’s timeline could delay adoption for years. So we did it for them.  ...