Two PRC incumbents urge critic to resign
Two incumbents who are seeking re-election to the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission are calling on the executive director of a clean-energy nonprofit and a frequent commission critic to resign her post.
Commissioners Sandy Jones and Lynda Lovejoy said New Energy Economy Executive Director Mariel Nanasi violates federal law by also heading a public action committee, Responsible Leadership New Mexico, which supports their opponents in the Democratic primary next month, said Cristal Jones, campaign manager for Sandy Jones and the candidate’s daughter.
Nanasi said Wednesday she has contributed personally to the independent committee but is not a founder or director of it.
Nanasi said the incumbents’ call for her to resign is an attempt to deflect attention from the motion New Energy Economy filed May 23, asking Jones and Lovejoy to recuse themselves from considering an application before the PRC involving an Albuquerque solar energy company because of “an obvious appearance of impropriety,” according to the filing.
The New Mexican reported May 2 that Jones and Lovejoy received campaign contributions from individuals associated with the company, Affordable Solar Installation.
Nanasi filed the New Energy Economy motion asking Jones and Lovejoy to step aside from an application by El Paso Electric to pay Affordable Solar $4.5 million to build a solar farm in Doña Ana County. The commission voted May 9 to send the application to a hearing examiner.
Campaign donations flowed after the PRC approved a previous application by Public Service Company of New Mexico to have Affordable Solar build an even larger solar farm at a cost of nearly $73 million. The commissioners voted to reject a hearing examiner’s recommendation and allowed PNM to purchase five solar farms from the company. That case is pending an appeal to the New Mexico Supreme Court.
“New Energy Economy is not engaged in electioneering,” Nanasi said. “Climate disruption is the most serious crisis we face. I have children and I’m concerned about the world they’ll inherit, and my personal, individual contributions reflect those values.”
New Energy Economy is a nonprofit “dedicated to creating economic opportunities for New Mexico by developing solutions to climate change,” according to its recent PRC filing.
Nanasi contributed $10,000 to Responsible Leadership NM, a political action committee that supports two challengers to Jones and Lovejoy for the Democratic nominations for commission seats. The committee paid for “political hit pieces” against Jones and Lovejoy; Nanasi also donated hundreds to the CVNM Verde Voters Fund, which “launched a negative advertising campaign against the two incumbents,” according to Cristal Jones.
Nanasi, as the head of a nonprofit, is violating federal tax law by participating in political campaigning, Cristal Jones said. She said Nanasi holds meetings in New Energy Economy offices, sends emails and raises funds for the two challengers, Janene Yazzie and Steve Fischmann, for commission seats representing Western and Southern New Mexico.
“She needs to either choose to be the director [of a nonprofit] or take another role to work on a campaign, she can’t do both,” Cristal Jones said Wednesday.
Nanasi said allegations she violated state or federal law are without merit.