Bill Richardson touts N.M. as renewable energy leader

[bigtree]

By Walter Rubel Santa Fe Bureau Chief
03/06/2007 12:00:00 AM MST

SANTA FE — Gov. Bill Richardson proclaimed Monday that by his signing of two bills, New Mexico has moved past California and reclaimed the title of the nation's renewable energy king.

The bills would create a new authority to finance and oversee the building of additional transmission lines (House Bill 418) and increase the renewable energy requirement for utilities operating in New Mexico (Senate Bill 418).

The two bills work together to increase both the generation and transmission of renewable energy, said Joanna Prukop, secretary of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department.

In 2004, the Legislature set a renewable portfolio standard requiring that large, investor-owned utilities derive at least 10 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2011. This year's bill would increase those requirements to 15 percent by 2015 and 20 percent by 2020. For rural co-ops, the requirements would be 5 percent by 2015 and 10 percent by 2020.

The existing law limits cost increases to consumers for meeting the requirements to 1 percent. That would increase to 2 percent, but Prukop said the 2004 law has hardly had any impact on consumer bills.

report: http://www.daily-times.com/ci_5364305

[Gamey]

1. It's a good start but more needs to be done to offset....

...the Bushco lock-steppers called Heather Wilson and Pete Domenici.