If we want Community Solar, Local Choice Energy & funding for a plan for a Just Transition in the 2020 legislative session, the Governor must OK it being introduced. Call & send a note to the Governor. Speaking points & contact info included.

Tomorrow’s Blog

• Confused by what’s at stake for Palestine in the stalemated Israeli election? Find out who the players are who are trying to form a new government and the implications for Palestine. We will provide a link to a very clear article that lays it out and include a few excerpts.
• Confused by what is at stake in the impeachment inquiry, the Ukrainian phone call and the whistleblower inquiry? We offer up another article that lays it out clearly, along with the full 3-hour video of the testimony of the Acting Director of National Intelligence before the House Intelligence Committee and the 5-minute questioning by Rep. Maloney who lays out the issues nicely.

Wondering what is going on next with the YUCCA Climate Strike? Lots, click here for details about Saturday’s meeting at the Center for Progress & Justice, 1420 Cerrillos in Santa Fe. The action for today was cancelled due to an all day funeral for the late Senator Cisneros. More is planned and that info can also be found at the above link, but scroll to the very bottom of the page….you’ll get to see some great photos as you scroll.

For more info on our climate justice panel on Tues., Oct. 1, click here.

If You Read Yesterdays Blog…

Then you know how devastating the gas & oil industry can be and how important it is to advance legislation to accelerate a just transition. Click here if you didn’t see yesterday’s post on the Chaco Sacrifice Zone.

Please write to the Governor to urge her to put Community Solar on the call for the 2020 Legislative Session. The Community Solar bill passed the House earlier this year and died in the Senate. There are so many reasons Community Solar is good for New Mexico, the climate crisis being just one. Send an email here: https://www.governor.state.nm.us/contact-the-governor/. Or call the Governor’s office at 505-476-2200.

Speaking Points

• Let her know that you are a Democrat and that not only do you vote, you are very engaged in legislative sessions;
• Thank her for her education moonshot and any other bills that you support that she signed into law, e.g., gun violence prevention, voter registration reform, etc.;
• Use your own words, be concise; long messages/emails will not be reviewed;
• Do not be inflammatory; convey how you understand that with so many needs in NM, we are very reliant on gas and oil revenue and so the transition will not be easy,
• But you ask is that to begin addressing the need for a just transition you want the Governor to put on the call: 1) Community Solar legislation; 2) Local Choice Energy legislation, and 3) funding for a planning study of how to initiate a just transition for our energy and our economy;
• Indicate that passing Community Solar and Local Choice Energy contribute to meeting the goals of the Energy Transition Act and bring good paying jobs to NM;
• If you are comfortable with it, acknowledge her Tweet in support of the students who struck last week and say something about how her putting Community Solar, Local Choice Energy and a bill funding development of a plan for a just transition will send a message to those youth that they have been heard;
• Close by thanking her for her service and promising that should she put all or any of these bills on the call, you will be at the Roundhouse to support the bills.

Thoughts on a Just Transition from Craig O’Hare

Yesterday, Craig O’Hare posted comments commending our Chaco Canyon Sacrifice Zone post. I thought they might help inform your call to the Gov.

Excellent write-up of a very depressing situation in the NW. Thanks for attending the tour Paul, Roxanne, and others.

At the macro-level, when it comes to oil and gas production in NM, we now must address the HUGE elephant in the room, politically and socially. We must completely SHUT DOWN the oil and gas industry in NM in the next 15 years (ideally sooner, but…..) if we’re going to do our part to prevent the climate crisis.

Two daunting issues that go with that reality:

1) About 10,000 people who currently have good paying ($60K/yr) jobs in the O&G sector will have to get other jobs, and those jobs won’t necessarily be anywhere near where they live now and will likely not be nearly as well paying.

2) O&G currently contributes about $1.4 billion/year to the state government budget – a budget that’s just shy of $8 billion/year. All of that revenue will have to be replaced with increased revenue (from tax increases) from other sources (income and GRT immediately come to mind).

Those 2 realities are just overwhelming politically. Hard to imagine very many State Reps or Senators wanting to talk about that at all. We must force them to address by any means at our disposal. Establishing a “Just Transition Fund” is great, but much more “meat” needs to be created to that idea. For the 2020 Legislative session, we need the Gov. and Leg. Leadership to support an appropriation ($1 million+) to do a macro-economic study on how #s 1 and 2 above can be accomplished.

As to what entity would do such a study, this is exactly what UNM’s Bureau of Business and Econ. Research does for a living. It would probably behoove the relevant NGOs to retain an economist to help with developing the scope of work for such a study and be the expert during the session ($20-30K?). Kelly O’Donnell (a friend of mine) is the former Tax and Rev Dept. Secretary under Gov. Richardson and is now an economic consultant. She would be great. This issue DWARFS all other related legislative issues – at least as it relates to becoming carbon neutral in NM.”

Thanks Craig. Well said. Exactly why we need to move on the plan you suggest in 2020.

In Solidarity,
Paul & Roxanne

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