Lawmakers send carbon-free energy proposal to Lujan Grisham (NM)

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | Tuesday, March 12, 2019 | Dan McKay

[CedarDave]

SANTA FE — Complex legislation that would push New Mexico toward carbon-free energy generation over the next 25 years won approval in the House on Tuesday — sending the bill to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in the final days of the session.

The proposal, Senate Bill 489, would authorize the use of bonds for Public Service Company of New Mexico to pay for costs associated with closing a coal-fired power plant in the Four Corners area.

It would also phase in requirements for PNM and other public utilities to shift to carbon-free energy generation by 2045. They would have to derive 50 percent of their electricity from renewable resources by 2030 and 80 percent by 2040.

The bill passed 43-22. It won approval in the Senate last week and now heads to Lujan Grisham, who has pushed for its passage.

[CedarDave]

What a bunch of hypocrites. Banning fossil fuel energy while NM's position as the number three oil and gas producer in the US fills the Democrat-ruled state government with money. And the down side is obvious: Electricity rates will soar (in spite of their saying they won't), our reliable electric grid will have brownouts or worse when the wind doesn't blow or solar panels don't produce electricity, especially during long winter nights. A high toll on wildlife will be taken as more migratory birds are killed by the rapidly rotating windmill blades.

[rktman]

Our sympathies CedarDave. We have similar asshats in NV too.

[nascarnation]

I think this is awesome, as long as it’s not my state.
Just like electric cars, more good stuff for the rest of us.

[oldasrocks]

Don’t batteries have carbon in them?

Are they going to outlaw human labor also. Humans are prt carbon.

[guyman]

Those voters over there in that Sh##hole state deserve just what that have gotten. Total socialist regime.

[CedarDave]

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[CedarDave]

I think this is awesome, as long as it’s not my state.

Rat Governor Lujan Grisham had this to say:

“The Energy Transition Act is a promise to future generations of New Mexicans,” she said. “When we were presented the chance to move toward cleaner sources of energy, we took it, boldly charting a course to a carbon-free future, permanently centering our commitment to lower emissions and setting an example for other states.”

What a bunch of enviro-nazi cow crap.

[rktman]

Sadly, in Nevada, Clark county/Vegas has 2+ million population. The rest of the star can’t reach a million so..............

[nascarnation]

Isn’t there a lot of fracking in the Eastern NM Permian?
Perhaps they should offer to forgo any taxes from that as an example of environmental purity.

[magellan]

There is no such thing as base load solar and wind power. There is the belief energy storage can turn solar and wind into base load power, but the cost of batteries at that scale is not economically realistic.

The desert is well-suited for large scale solar power. But it can only provide power during the day. Perhaps the wind will blow at night, but there may be challenges there as well.

If you have enough hydroelectric power generating capability, you might be able to have a balanced power grid. But what happens during a drought?

That is why currently all solar and wind projects also have natural gas powered generating plants to augment the power generated from solar and wind. Natural gas generators can be fired up quickly, and turned off quickly.

Of course, what will really happen is New Mexico will balance periods of low solar and wind generation by purchasing power generated by non solar and wind sources in other states. They will use accounting tricks to claim they are only buying "green" power from these other states, although generated electricity on the grid is a completely fungible commodity.

[butlerweave]

What about Tires ?

[Ingtar]

They’ll just leech off the magic grid as California has done for years.

[laplata]

They won’t like it when more trees are cut to keep warm.

[Wonder Warthog]

There is a huge difference between “carbon free” and “renewable”. “Carbon free” includes things like fission and fusion reactors. “Renewable” is pretty much limited to solar, wind, and hydro.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***They won’t like it when more trees are cut to keep warm.***

What trees? Everyone in NE NM when I lived there burned COAL for heat. No trees within fifty miles. Even in Farmington, our friends would stoke up the fireplace and burn coal. Probably from the King Coal Mine operated by Violet Smith.

[M Kehoe]

Hi.

Did the article say how NM would generate electricity?

5.56mm

[Socon-Econ]

Somehow, they’ll find a way to associate nuclear power with increased carbon emissions.

[laplata]

You’re forgetting all the other areas that cut pinon and cedar. We didn’t have coal around Abiquiu.

Those trees.

[wjcsux]

California buys electricity from surrounding states that have reliable generating facilities. Utilitiy companies in AZ make a lot of money from California.

[gibsonguy]

Idiots.