Amendment 1 a much-needed reform

THE PUBLIC Regulation Commission needs reform. Constitutional Amendment 1 deserves your “yes” vote. If we are going to see strong, effective oversight and regulation of utilities, and rise to the challenge of addressing the climate crisis, we can’t continue to ignore the dysfunction that has roiled the PRC for most of the last 20 years.

New Mexicans approved the election of PRC commissioners over 20 years ago in hopes it would mean more democratic representation. The results were immediate but not at all what was hoped for. For the last 20 years, the PRC has seen a near constant majority of the commission be unprepared, inexpert, incompetent, abusive and corrupt.

... The PRC is a down-ballot race, and while many folks may not know what the PRC stands for, the special interests that pay close attention to every PRC race are the very industries the PRC is supposed to regulate. That is a recipe for disaster. The elected commission, which rarely gets the same attention as the Legislature or governor, has often sought to undermine, rather than implement, positive reforms passed by the Legislature, such as our renewable-energy and energyefficiency standards.

The reform in Constitutional Amendment 1 on this year’s ballot came after years of the Legislature reckoning with how to improve the PRC. ... The reform will ensure New Mexico has the most rigorous appointment process in the country. ...

We can rapidly move to a clean energy future, bring forward our state’s enormous renewable energy potential and address the generational challenge of climate change while ensuring good, new clean energy jobs and providing affordable, reliable energy. To do so we need independent experts, not unqualified politicians, leading the PRC. Vote for New Mexico’s clean energy future and vote for Amendment 1.

ORIANA SANDOVAL

Albuquerque