Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
The New Mexico Environment Department hosted a climate action engagement meeting Thursday in Tucumcari, including discussing the possibility of a renewable energy hub being implemented in the city.
The meeting was at the North American Wind Research and Training Center at Mesalands Community College. The meeting sought community input on the state’s climate action plan.
Claudia Borchert, climate change policy coordinator at the Environment Department, said Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has ordered a cut in greenhouse gas emissions.
“The environment department has been directed by the governor to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions by at least 45% from 2005 levels by 2030 and to have them at a zero balance by 2050,” she said.
Borchert said New Mexico has received a $3 million Climate Pollution Reduction Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“We are here to learn from the community what kind of climate actions this community feels are important for that,” Borchert said. “We want to go to New Mexico wide and big and small and rural and urban and high and low, to talk to people about that.”
During the meeting, concerns about the weight of battery-operated vehicles, rural disadvantages and taxes were discussed.
One of the most discussed plans was the possible implementation of a renewable energy hub in Tucumcari, one of several that would be placed every 150 to 200 miles along the Interstate 40 corridor.
State Sen. Pat Woods (R-Broadview), who attended the meeting, raised concerns about the plans.
“I would love to see a new large business come into Tucumcari,” Woods said. “The reason you don’t see more charging stations is lack of demand, so (it’s) hard to recover the infrastructure cost to build them.”
He said the New Mexico Legislature acknowledges that and works to help improve it.
“The legislature creates tax credits (for the) public to buy electric cars to create that demand,” he said.
Woods said that creates a discrepancy compared to what is seen in the oil and gas industry.
“The oil and gas industry contributes 50% of our current tax revenue,” he said. “Not only do we not have a plan (from EVs) to fund highways, we don’t have a plan to replace oil and gas revenue, either.”
Sherra Miller, a Tucumcari resident, said she thought the meeting was informative and went well.
“They have a lot of good ideas that I think would bring many good jobs to Tucumcari and would help us grow a lot,” she said.
Miller said she thought many of their plans would benefit Tucumcari.
“I think it would be great to have a charging station here in Tucumcari; it could be made into a travel center. … I also thought it would be very neat if they could do a program where they help people fix their houses up so that they can have solar panels installed,” she said.
Miguel Hernandez, a student training to be a wind turbine technician at Mesalands, said he has mixed feelings about the ideas brought up.
“It does make sense to build charging stations to help reduce methane and fuel fumes. … I didn’t agree with them basically wanting to force electric semis on fleet companies,” he said.
Hernandez said there are many reasons trucking companies shouldn’t be forced to use electric vehicles.
“Many truck drivers have years of diesel mechanic experience as drivers, and it is going to be hard for them to adapt to these electric trucks,” he said. “If they break down for whatever reason, then they are forced to call EV technicians to get them back out on the road.”
Quay County manager Daniel Zamora said Monday during a county commission meeting he was disheartened by the politics and “combativeness” shown by residents at the meeting.
Zamora said the wind turbine at Mesalands could be major part of a charging station in Tucumcari and “become a revenue generator” for the financially troubled college.
“Like it or not, (renewable energy) is coming,” he said. Zamora compared the loss of a possible hub in Tucumcari to when the city lost several of its trucking companies years ago.
Commissioner Jerri Rush responded that “the governor created a distaste” for renewable energy.
Ron Warnick of the Quay County Sun contributed to this report.