Domenici won’t support what New Mexico already enacted?
By Avelino Maestas on Dec 4, 2007 in Congress, Energy, Pete Domenici
To add to what LP said about the energy bill, it’s worth noting that the proposed Renewable Energy Standard falls short of what New Mexico has already adopted:
In March 2007, New Mexico passed SB 418, which directs investor-owned utilities to generate 20% of total retail sales to New Mexico customers from renewable energy resources by 2020, with interim standards of 10% by 2011 and 15% by 2015. The bill also establishes a standard for rural electric cooperatives of 10% by 2020.
The energy bill being floated in Congress right now calls for just 11% from renewables, with an additional 4% reduction coming from “energy-efficiency” gains. It doesn’t even require co-ops to invest in renewable sources. Still, Sen. Pete Domenici can’t support it:
This is the most vulnerable part of the bill. Senator Pete Domenici, an influential Republican voice on energy issues, is vowing to fight it, even though he has voted for similar provisions before and his own state of New Mexico has embarked on an aggressive renewable electricity program.
I guess if it’s good enough for his own state, it’s too good for the country?
To be fair to the senior senator, his argument has always been quite clear - that he feels a renewable portfolio standard is unfair to this regions not blessed (as New Mexico is) with opportunities for renewable energy generation, i.e. wind and solar.
John Fleck | Dec 4, 2007 | Reply