N.M. can create a cleaner future
New Mexicans are actively seeking ways to reduce energy costs while embracing sustainable solutions. One of the key avenues they’re exploring is through energy efficiency upgrades. Enhancing the energy and water efficiency of homes not only cuts costs but significantly enhances residents’ quality of life, while simultaneously mitigating pollution.
Measures such as air sealing windows and doors, installing high-efficiency toilets, showerheads and aerators, and transitioning to heat pumps for home heating and cooling not only reduce expenses but also foster healthier, safer and more comfortable living environments. New Mexicans are increasingly opting for these energy-efficient upgrades to safeguard both their families’ well-being and their finances.
However, the quest for a more sustainable lifestyle doesn’t stop at home improvements. New Mexicans deserve the choice to adopt cleaner and more cost-effective transportation methods. The combustion engine’s emissions from gas-powered vehicles constitute the second-largest source of carbon pollution in New Mexico, posing a significant threat to our air quality, public health, the environment and climate. It’s time to empower individuals to opt for zero-emission electric vehicles, thereby curbing harmful pollution and delivering long-term savings on fuel and maintenance expenses for their families. The state needs to prioritize making clean vehicles more accessible and affordable for a broader population.
One tangible step forward is the endorsement of the proposed Advanced Clean Cars and Trucks standards by the New Mexico Environment Department. These crucial standards will be under consideration in public hearings by the Environmental Improvement Board
and the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board from Nov. 13-15.
Amid the vehement opposition from fossil fuel proponents, it’s imperative to delve deeper. These proposed standards and the adoption of electric vehicles offer not only critical environmental advantages but also promote equity and generate economic benefits for the state. The proposed approach is both durable and flexible, offering a phased implementation that provides consumers with a wide array of options.
A key realization is that New Mexico faces a pressing issue with vehicle tailpipe pollution, and the implementation of Clean Cars and Trucks standards is as a viable solution. Tailpipe emissions adversely impact our health, contribute significantly to climate change and represent a wasteful burning of gasoline or diesel in vehicles.
Even if climate change isn’t your primary concern while shopping for a vehicle, it’s important to recognize that electric vehicles also make sound financial sense. Though they may have higher upfront costs, these are more than offset by the considerable savings in fuel and maintenance over a 10-year period.
Encouragingly, point-of-sale rebates, ranging from $3,750 to $7,500, substantially reduce the initial costs of EVs for New Mexican families. Moreover, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s commitment to seeking a state-level EV tax credit promises greater accessibility for a wider demographic, making EVs even more affordable.
The growing infrastructure of EV chargers further amplifies this shift toward sustainable transportation. We stand at the threshold of an EV revolution, where drivers will soon traverse every corner of our Land of Enchantment without any concern about charging their vehicles.
It’s time to move beyond mere rhetoric. Educate yourself by visiting NewMexicoCleanAir.com and lend your support to the Advanced Clean Cars and Trucks standards. Share your public comment today by visiting the Environment Department’s website and clicking on the Clean Cars and Trucks banner in yellow and blue. There’s no time to spare in ushering in a cleaner, more sustainable future for New Mexico.
Ona Porter is the founder emerita and clean energy leader of Prosperity Works, a statewide nonprofit that advocates for policies that generate economic prosperity for all New Mexicans.