I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
A front page story in today’s New York Times’ business section looked at what the paper called a “moving target” — the renewable energy standards in various states, including New Mexico. The paper wrote that the Land of Enchantment and our neighbor to the east, Texas, are closer to reach the goals than many other states.
New Mexico’s big utilities are at 6 percent renewable power, within striking distance of the state’s 10 percent goal by 2011.
The paper also spoke to Ryan Wiser, a scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and a co-author of a recent report on the targets.
He said that things may be good in some states, including our fair state, but in other states making good progress on this front may be a challenge.
Even in states that are making good progress toward their targets — like Texas, New Mexico and Wisconsin, according to Mr. Wiser — efforts could be undermined by the still-unfolding credit crisis. The squeeze is falling especially hard on renewable energy projects, because nearly all the expenses for such plants are upfront capital costs financed by debt, with little in “pay as you go” costs like fuel.
This addressed a major problem states face — finding credit. How to transmit the power generated by renewables and other alternative fuels is another daunting challenge. Both are relevant to New Mexico and will need to be addressed by companies that want to reach the 10 percent standard by 2011.
