Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has announced a new water supply strategy to increase drought resilience and advance clean energy production and storage.
The Governor made the announcement Tuesday morning while attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai.
Under the plan the brackish and processed wastewater will be used for water-intensive processes around creating green hydrogen, storing energy produced by wind and solar, and manufacturing electric vehicles, microchips, solar panels, and wind turbines.
Lujan Grisham says that will allow more clean water available for public use while maintaining the workforce development.
“It’s a signal to New Mexicans that their fresh water, which belongs to them, the fundamental right they have, is protected and we’re not making draconian decisions about water for a community or jobs, ” she said. “We have communities that run out of water. For the first time the Rio Grande River which runs through the central part of the state, our major above ground water source ran dry.”
The Governor is asking the legislature for a $500 million investment, half next year and half in 2025 for New Mexico to purchase treated brackish and treated produced water to build the strategic water supply. In early 2024, the New Mexico Environment Department will issue guidance and seek proposals from companies interested in pursuing a contract.
