New Mexico homeowners and businesses spent more than 31 million dollars on rooftop solar and solar heating systems last year under an incentive program offered by the state. That's the preliminary number crunched by the agency that oversees a key tax credit that has bolstered the solar industry over the last decade. Since the credit is set to expire at the end of 2016, a bipartisan contingent of New Mexico lawmakers is pushing to extend the program through 2024. They say the credit amounts to a relatively modest investment when considering the return. According to state figures, nearly 14 million dollars in credits were issued and owners spent more than 140 million on solar equipment between 2008 and 2014.
New Mexico is allowing voters to register online for the first time. The secretary of state's online system began accepting new registration applications Friday. It also handles changes to names, addresses and political party affiliation. The move is part of an effort that began a few years ago to modernize the system. The goal is to create a one-stop shop where voters can access and update their information online, find polling places and read sample ballots. At least 26 other states offer online voter registration. Registration requires a New Mexico driver's license or state identification number. Applicants also need to provide a social security number, date of birth and address. The online applications are being checked by county clerks to confirm eligibility and make sure there's no duplication.
Republican presidential candidates insist they'll finish building a border wall along the U.S.-Mexico boundary. But what already stands in Texas is a fragmented series of fencing, with large gaps in between. While 12-hundred miles of border lies in Texas, the state has only some 100 miles of wall. Adding to the Texas wall may be difficult, courtesy of the border's sheer length, the fact that it sits in the center of the snaking Rio Grande, and because international treaties with Mexico prevent either country from constructing within the river's flood plains. And unlike in other southwestern states, most border land in Texas is privately owned. Finishing the some 13-hundred miles of border fencing would also be expensive, costing billions of dollars to complete.
Stakeholders in New Mexico's oil and gas industry, particularly in Eddy County, are bracing for where crude oil prices will land in this new year. The Carlsbad Current-Argus reports that the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association says the state had a record producing year but a drop in prices in 2015 had many wondering if it was the end of a boom. In the past year, oil has dropped to a seven-year low and a 40-year-old oil export ban was lifted. Association spokesman Wally Drangmeister says federal agencies are reviewing multiple new regulations for New Mexico and the Carlsbad area specifically. Drangmeister says the regulations may lead to greater operating costs. Carlsbad officials say this year's budget is based on oil revenue from last year.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is holding a midwinter eagle watch at Abiquiu Lake on Saturday. The purpose is to collect data that will help with efforts to track the birds and help ensure their habitat is adequate for their numbers. The annual event in northern New Mexico is open to the public. Volunteers who want to help at Abiquiu Lake are asked to dress warmly and bring binoculars, notepads and drinking water.
Santa Fe Weather: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 36. Tonight: An 80-percent chance for snow showers mainly after midnight. Tomorrow: Mostly cloudy with a 70-percent chance for snow showers and the high reaching 34.