HB 9 an energy future shaped by and for NM
Raising the next generation of New Mexicans to be successful requires strong families and healthy communities. And to do that, we must listen to the unique needs of our diverse communities and cultures and ensure they all have a seat at the table in shaping a future that works for them.
Contrary to the lies that have been sold to our communities, a clean and healthy environment does not contradict a sustainable and diverse economy for all New Mexicans.
Our communities know very well that over-dependence on revenue from extractive industries is an unsustainable model for our current and future generations. And together, we are striving for a clean and prosperous future for all New Mexicans, one that respects our hard-working families by allowing them to be part of the process for change.
As we move to repair New Mexico’s COVID-battered economy, turning it into a clean and prosperous economy, it is vital to put Indigenous, Black, people of color, and other front-line communities at the decision-making table to inform our transition to an energy economy that will address the climate crisis our communities are facing every day.
After years of community dialogue with directly impacted families — many times excluded from the decision-making of our state’s economy — front-line communities and members of the Power 4 NM coalition are supporting The Climate Solutions and Resiliency Act, HB 9.
The task is simple. The people most affected by the plummeting revenue, hazardous environment and ecological destruction perpetuated by the extractive industries in our state must be prioritized and heard in how exactly our energy transition should be carried out to ensure no community is left behind.
HB 9 will create the New Mexico Climate Leadership Council to enact guidance on how to achieve economic diversification while taking bold and swift action in saving our land, air and water. The council will be composed of representatives from a variety of agencies and appointed advisory committee members from local and tribal governments, with the goal of implementing a statewide strategy to prepare and support communities for the impacts of climate change and ensure front-line communities directly benefit from a new clean-energy economy, through the creation of high-quality jobs and economic development opportunities.
Our families, who have spent their lives working or being impacted by the extractive industries, deserve to have a say in how we shape our energy future. It begins by respecting our community history and tapping into our homegrown talent and knowledge on how to work together toward a cleaner, stronger New Mexico.
Leaders in our communities, again and again, have expressed the urgency for our state to commit to bold policy changes that put New Mexicans first. HB 9 will be that bold policy.
The road ahead will not be bump-free, but New Mexicans are up to the challenge. Because what sets New Mexicans apart from other states is our courage and creativity to make what seems impossible, possible.
Together we will shape a New Mexico for generations where communities are guaranteed the highest quality of life and a clean environment in which to thrive.