
By Nicholas Gilmore, The Santa Fe New Mexican
Some local governments and climate advocacy groups are pushing a bill that could open up energy control to localities in the state.
On Tuesday, Santa Fe County commissioners unanimously passed a resolution in support of Senate Bill 165, the Local Choice Energy Act, which was introduced in the state Senate last month by Sen. Carrie Hamblen, D-Las Cruces. Bernalillo County commissioners also showed support for the bill by unanimously passing a similar resolution in January.
A coalition of grassroots advocacy groups called Public Power New Mexico says the goal of “local choice energy” is to give communities in the state the option to “generate affordable, renewable electricity that creates jobs and invests in local economies.” The coalition comprises environmental, racial and economic justice groups throughout the state such as New Energy Economy, Indigenous Lifeways, Youth United for Climate Action and Earth Care New Mexico, among others.
Presently, the bill awaits a hearing in the Senate Conservation Committee. Similar bills were introduced in 2019 and 2021, although they didn’t get far; the 2021 bill died in the Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee after passing the Senate Conservation Committee. The bill’s supporters say it could drive down electricity prices and give communities more control over where their power comes from.