The Clear Horizons Act Prepares State for Clean Energy Development and Lower Costs for Families
SANTA FE, N.M. — Amidst one of the driest and warmest winters on record, members of the Senate Conservation Committee passed the Clear Horizons Act, legislation that gives New Mexico a responsible plan to continue reducing climate-warming pollution while protecting family budgets, growing local jobs, and preserving the state’s unique way of life.
Sponsored by Senators Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque) and Angel Charley (D-Acoma), and co-sponsored in the House by Representatives Kristina Ortez (D-Taos) and Andrea Romero (D-Santa Fe), Senate Bill 18, codifies New Mexico’s existing climate pollution reduction goals set by executive order in 2019. The bill provides continued state progress in growing new and emerging industries, while reducing climate-warming pollution, and lowering electricity costs for families and communities. Senate Bill 18 applies only to the largest industrial sources of emissions that emit 10,000 metric tons or more of climate pollution per year.
“Planning ahead costs less than paying after the damage is done,” said Senate Bill 18 sponsor and Senate Pro Tempore Mimi Stewart. “The Clear Horizons Act gives New Mexico the tools to protect our environment, strengthen our economy, and pass on a healthier, more stable future to the next generation without burdening hardworking families and the businesses they rely on.”
“Agencies like mine across the country used to prepare for a single disaster season per year,” said Ali Rye, state director of the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. “Now we’re preparing for disasters year-round. Last year, New Mexico saw its first large wildfire in February, and these events are happening more often and lasting longer — even through monsoon season. This is something we all have to start preparing for.”
As hotter temperatures, prolonged drought, and more destructive wildfires and floods reshape life across New Mexico, the financial impacts are already hitting families and communities. Home insurance premiums have risen an average of 16 percent in recent years, emergency disaster spending now costs taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars annually, and climate-related damages could reach billions by 2040 if New Mexico fails to plan ahead. At the same time, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, New Mexico generates more than half of its energy from renewable sources, with families and communities paying roughly 7 percent less for electricity than the national average.
“I remember as a child my dad throwing chains on his white Ford pickup truck to drag me behind on an inflated tire in the snow,” remarked bill co-sponsor Senator Angel Charley (D-Acoma). “I have never been able to do that with my daughter because there’s no snow. The Clear Horizons Act spurs innovation forward with industries that are already moving in this direction. Renewable facilities like Meta show us this is more than possible. The land has always taken care of us, it is now up to us to protect her in the same ways she has protected and provided for us.”
Supporters emphasized that SB 18 is not about choosing between a strong economy and a healthy environment — it is about recognizing that New Mexico’s future depends on both. By providing certainty and long-term planning, the bill helps attract clean energy investment, support good-paying jobs, and reduce the growing financial toll of climate-driven disasters.
Senate Bill 18 passed the Senate Conservation Committee, 5 – 4. It now goes to the Senate Tax, Business & Transportation Committee for consideration. To learn more about the Clear Horizons Act, visit www.clearhorizonsnm.org.
###