The Permian Basin Climate Justice Coalition condemns the Biden Administration’s June Lease Sale
This lease sale symbolizes the Biden administration’s broken promise to tackle the climate crisis and address the environmental injustices that disproportionately impact Immigrant, Black, and Indigenous communities. It’s long past time for our federal government to phase out oil and gas fracking and to prioritize our climate, environment, and public health above a profiteering industry that got us into the climate crisis in the first place. It’s  imperative that the federal government end leasing on public lands if the Biden administration has any hope of meeting its climate goals ...
PRC orders rate credit to reflect savings of closing coal plant

Commisison requires PNM to credit customers and issue community funds as soon as San Juan plant closes

The Public Regulation Commission voted 5-0 on June 29 that PNM violated the Energy Transition Act, agreeing with environmental and consumer groups that PNM should not keep charging customers for San Juan Generating Station expenses long after the plant is closed. The commission also required PNM to issue the community and worker funding that would be generated by the Energy Transition bonds as soon as the coal plant closes. 

“The ruling means the average PNM customer will see a savings of more than $8 per month, and hundreds of dollars over the next 18 months,” said Ona Porter of Prosperity Works, which advocates ...

Sierra Club raises nearly $25,000 for Las Vegas Community Fund, Wildfire Victims
In response to the fires that have ravaged New Mexico, the Sierra Club nationally raised over $25,000 from member donations to benefit the Las Vegas Community Fund ...
144,377 New Mexicans, including 38,749 children, Threatened by Oil and Gas Industry Air Pollution
A new geospatial analysis released by Earthworks today shows 144,377 New Mexicans including 38,749 children, reside near or attend schools or daycares within a ½ mile threat radius of active oil and gas operations. In the San Juan Basin nearly 80% of the population lives within this radius. In the NM Permian Basin the map shows a nearly 40% increase in Lea County alone of people living within the threat radius since 2017 ...
Photo of gas flare by Varodrig

Utility agrees to drop hydrogen-blending pilot, cut proposed rate increase in half, advocate for legislation enabling low-income utility rates

For immediate release: May 23, 2022

On Friday, Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy, Western Resource Advocates, PRC staff, the New Mexico attorney general, New Mexico Affordable Reliable Energy Alliance, New Energy Economy, and Incorporated County of Los Alamos reached an agreement with New Mexico Gas Company on its rate case, which had included plans to charge customers for a pilot to blend hydrogen into its gas supply and for compressed-natural-gas (CNG) fueling stations. 

The settlement included: 

  • Agreement that NM Gas will not provide any customers a blend of hydrogen and natural gas without seeking the PRC’s approval in a future ...
Coalition delivers 80K comments to Bureau of Land Management to “Truly Honor Chaco” 

Commenters demand more meaningful protections for Greater Chaco and greater involvement of impacted communities

For Immediate Release: May 6, 2022 (Photos)

Santa Fe, NM – Today, the Greater Chaco Coalition/Frack Off Chaco, composed of environmental justice advocates, Indigenous grassroots organizations, tribal community leaders, and members of the public, rallied and delivered nearly 80,000 comments to the Bureau of Land Management demanding greater protections for the Greater Chaco Landscape and surrounding communities from expanded oil and gas activities.

Today’s rally coincided with the deadline to submit comments on the Bureau of Land Management’s proposal to stop new oil and gas leasing for a 20-year period on roughly 350,000 acres of land within a 10-mile radius of Chaco Culture National Historical Park ...

Greater Chaco Coalition and Citizens Caring for the Future Respond to Biden Administration’s Decision to Restart Oil and Gas Leasing in New Mexico
The Greater Chaco Coalition and Citizens Caring for the Future jointly issued a statement condemning the Department of the Interior’s decision to resume oil and gas leasing on public lands across the United States, including in New Mexico ...
Methane standards bring big climate, health wins for New Mexico

Photo: Reporters film Earthwork’s Pete Dronkers with an infrared camera at one of the Four Corners sites that a NASA report found to be a ‘super-emitter’ of invisible methane gas.

CONTACT: Camilla Feibelman, camilla.feibelman@sierraclub.org, 505.715.8388

New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board adopts nation-leading air pollution rules for oil and gas operators

Conservation, public health, and community leaders from across New Mexico applauded the Environmental Improvement Board’s April 14 preliminary approval of final ozone precursor regulations for oil and gas production and processing. This includes nation-leading safeguards that address equipment leaks and malfunctions that account for 70% of the industry’s methane emissions.

This marks the second, complementary set of requirements in the Lujan Grisham administration’s groundbreaking approach to reduce air and methane pollution ...