During her 2018 election campaign, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham promised to structure the state’s water resources and take serious action on the climate crisis. Taking office, she pushed for new regulations on methane emissions in the oil and gas industry and supported policies to bring more renewable electricity to the state.
But the path toward strong environmental action has also hit some snags. In 2019, a bill to fund the governor’s promised 50-year water plan was rejected in the legislature and today, the state’s budget remains strongly dependent on tax and royalties from oil and gas. Environmental groups have accused Lujan Grisham of an all-too cozy relationship with the industry.
The 2022 legislative session includes a raft of environmental bills — from a clean fuel standard to tax credits for energy storage, renewables and electric vehicles. Several bills would fund water projects and make changes to the Office of the State Engineer. Also under consideration is the controversial Hydrogen Hub Act, which if passed would provide tax subsidies to hydrogen fuel producers in the state. The bill comes with strong support from the governor’s office, but environmental groups have warned that it could expand emissions from natural gas.
Searchlight New Mexico sat down with the governor to discuss an array of environmental concerns, including the future of hydrogen, the state’s fossil fuel industry and the water crisis.
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