(Santa Fe, NM) Yesterday, the New Mexico Senate received a Message from Governor Lujan Grisham to permit legislative consideration of an updated version of Senator Jeff Steinborn’s (D-Las Cruces) legislation, the Microgrid Oversight Act. The new bill, Senate Bill 235 would:
1. Require the Public Regulation Commission to begin rule making by July 1, 2027 to establish a “renewable energy portfolio” standard of required renewable energy usage for microgrids, to be increased over time and be carbon emission free by 2045.
2. Prohibit utilities from increasing customers’ electricity bills to pay for the creation of microgrid powerplants.
3. Require microgrids to submit annual reports to the PRC detailing total energy and renewable energy usage, as well as total water usage for the microgrids.
Microgrids are self-generation power plants independent from electricity utilities that will be used to power data centers, including the announced Project Jupiter in southern Doña Ana County. Senator Steinborn and others have expressed serious concern about the massive energy and water use, and greenhouse gas emissions from data centers.
“It’s urgent that the legislature and Governor take the needed steps to protect our air quality and water resources threatened from these massive new data centers,” said Sen. Steinborn. “Project Jupiter alone would generate the equivalent of four large coal fired power plants, or 2.6 million cars worth of greenhouse gas pollution into the state’s air. The Microgrid Oversight Act would establish meaningful clean energy requirements to protect our air quality, and consumer protections to ensure utility customers are not stuck with the tab of paying for this new power generation.”
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