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February 4, 2020

Environmental Legislation Passed in New Mexico

On January 28, 2020 I went to our state capital, in Santa Fe, New Mexico to attend Climate Crisis Day at the Roundhouse. The Sierra Club was hosting an event focused on teaching the necessary skills to lobby bills that are needed to be passed in the Senate and the House. These bills are essential to the improvement of the global climate. When I arrived, the capitol building was bustling with people that are dedicated to making a positive difference in the environmental crisis that the world is facing. I was immediately inspired by the sheer number of people who wanted the same thing as me. For the first time in a long time, I felt like there was real hope that we were moving the scale in a positive direction.  

After my initial moment of being taken back in awe, I made my way to the room where the Sierra Club was going to be educating all of us on how to successfully lobby for a bill. The skills they taught us were what we needed to be able to accurately discuss these bills with our Senators and Representatives. These skills will ultimately end up benefiting us the most. In order to see real change take place within our local and state governments, we as activists, as citizens of the United States, and most importantly as people of this planet, need to know how to do this. We need to know how to stand up and tell the people who make decisions for us all what we really want. This will be essential to saving our planet. 

Once we were well versed in the bills up for debate, they sent us down to the floor. This is where our Senators were, and this was where we lobbied them into voting for the bills that we wanted, and needed, to have passed. I am proud to say that the New Mexico Supreme Court just ruled that the PRC must apply the Energy Transition Act (ETA). 

I’d like to take a moment to define the ETA, “[It] is a bill to Increase our Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). This will mandate that our electric utilities convert to clean renewable energy to achieve these targets, which scientists tell us are required to preserve a livable climate. With this bill, New Mexico can be a national leader in solar, wind and geothermal energy and provide good jobs, clean air and clean water.”

Being involved in such an auspicious moment for New Mexico made me very proud to say that this is where I am from. New Mexicans are actively doing what we can to help save our planet for all people, everywhere. 

Photo By: Me