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'Tough Session' for Conservation Bills; Solar Energy Credit Survives Legislature

Posted on: Tuesday, 21 February 2006, 12:00 CST

By TANIA SOUSSAN Journal Staff Writer

The Legislature delivered disappointing results for Gov. Bill Richardson and activists who pushed energy, water and conservation bills during the 30-day session.

Before the session began, Richardson held a news conference to announce an ambitious clean energy and water agenda. Only two of the major proposals he outlined made it through the House and Senate and back to his desk.

"Overall it was a tough session and we're disappointed," said Richardson

spokesman

Jon Goldstein. "But we will be back next year."

The big conservation victory of the session that ended Thursday was passage of a solar energy tax credit for people who install new systems.

The primary duty of legislators during the 30-day sessions held in even-numbered years is to craft a budget.

Still, the session did not live up to expectations, said Leanne Leith, political director of Conservation Voters New Mexico.

"We were disappointed by the failure of the Legislature to act on a lot of other pieces of legislation," she said.

Two measures pushed by Richardson and conservationists died in the House -- creation of a Renewable Energy Transmission Authority and a Land, Wildlife and Clean Energy Conservation Fund.

Also failing during the session were a tax credit for clean energy manufacturers and a bill to give surface landowners protection when oil and gas companies drill on their property.

Goldstein said bills that failed would have helped ranchers preserve their land and earn some money from wind energy projects.

"Unfortunately, rural New Mexico didn't come out well in the session," he said.

Ben Luce, chairman of the Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy, said the death of some of those bills was a surprise.

"The failure of those bills had nothing to do with those bills," he said. "It had mainly to do with ... the logjam at the end of the session."

Richardson was more successful on the funding side, meeting several goals through his capital outlay and budget.

He got $2 million to create a revolving loan fund for dairy waste- to-energy projects, $2 million for the Strategic Water Reserve, $45 million for water infrastructure projects, more than $3 million for state parks and enough money to hire three new Oil Conservation Division enforcement staff.

Legislators also set aside $40 million for the Water Trust Fund, which grants money for water projects around the state, and agreed to ask voters in November to amend the New Mexico Constitution and make the fund permanent.

"It's been a very, very highly successful year for water," said Rep. W. Ken Martinez, DGrants. Sen. Michael Sanchez, DBelen, sponsored the renewable energy transmission and conservation fund bills. "Not everything passes the first time or even the second time out," he said, adding he will try again next year.

Source: Albuquerque Journal

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