US Senator Martin Heinrich says New Mexico has the ability to be a world leader in advanced energy solutions.
That’s the message the Senator had for state lawmakers, renewable energy leaders, researchers, and advocates during a recent conference, “Building an Advanced Energy Ecosystem in New Mexico,” in Albuquerque.
Heinrich laid out his vision to position New Mexico at the center of the nation's clean energy future.
He says now, The Land of Enchantment needs to make that happen.
Heinrich says the state’s energy policy and investment decisions will be, at a minimum, deeply impactful and at a maximum, they could define New Mexico’s economy for generations to come.
“It’s clear that New Mexico has the leadership, has the expertise and the ability to be not just a leader here in the United States but really a world leader in this space,” he said. “It’s up to all of us to deliver and I want to make the point that we’re not where we are going to be 20 years from now. We’re not where we were ten years ago. This is a really singular moment in the history of energy on the planet.”
Heinrich says a better and faster permitting process for advanced energy construction would be a great benefit to the growing industry in New Mexico and across the country.
He says that’s why he introduced legislation called the FASTER Act to establish simpler, coordinated agency reviews for significant, interregional transmission projects.
Heinrich says The FASTER Act would empower and require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to approve or deny applications for these transmission lines within a predictable three-year timeframe. It would deliver tangible economic benefits through easement payments to local communities, states, and counties along the route of new transmission lines.