The Public Regulation Commission is proposing a new rule that could significantly reduce the amount of solar energy installed into homes in New Mexico.  This new rule would have a significant impact on our state's solar industry.

If you would like to see New Mexico keep these solar jobs, we would encourage you to do two things:

1. Attend the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on the Reasonable Cost Threshold this Friday, January 27th at 8:30am at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe in Room 315.
2. Please contact your Commissioner today to ensure that he supports the changes to the proposed rule below that will protect our solar jobs and businesses.

It is most effective to submit comments in written form via email or fax so that they become part of the formal record (contact information is at the end of this email).  

All comments must be received by Friday, January 27th.

Please include the text below in your comments. You can cut and paste this text into your email or fax.

Dear Commissioner:

I am a constituent and I am writing you regarding PRC Case #11-00218-UT. I am a strong supporter of solar energy and the jobs it creates for New Mexicans.I urge the PRC to adopt the following provisions in the rule governing the Renewable Portfolio Standard.

1. Preserve a solar diversity requirement of at least 10% to support the growth of our solar industry. Reject the proposed cut to this requirement.
2. Require the use of levelized cost accounting, so that the value and costs of these long-term renewable energy resources are properly accounted for and balanced.
3. Require that Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) must be purchased with the associated energy. This ensures that the Renewable Portfolio Standard generates real, new jobs in New Mexico as intended by the law.
4. When calculating the Reasonable Cost Threshold, ensure that renewable energy resources are credited, starting in the year they are brought online, for the fossil fuel generation resources they will offset.
5. Support the remainder of the proposed rule. 

Contacting your Commissioner:

To include your comments in the formal record, you must email them to:  prc.records@state.nm.us 

In addition, please also send it directly to your commissioner at the addresses below.   

If you live in Santa Fe, Espanola, Taos, Las Vegas or northeastern New Mexico please contact Commissioner Douglas Howe at (505) 827-4533 FAX: Not available

EMAIL: doug.howe@state.nm.us Assistant: charlotte.duran1@state.nm.us;

If you live in southwestern New Mexico including Las Cruces, please contact Commissioner Ben Hall at (505) 827-8020 FAX: 476-0473 EMAIL: Ben.Hall@state.nm.us; Assistant: Yolanda.dominguez@state.nm.us

If you live in southeastern New Mexico including Tucumcari, Alamogordo and Torrance County, please contact Commissioner Patrick Lyons at (505) 827-4531 FAX: 827-6522 EMAIL: Patrick.Lyons@state.nm.us; Assistant: Dallas.Rippy@state.nm.us;

If you live in northwestern New Mexico including Gallup, Grants, Farmington, the Navajo Nation and Sandoval County, please contact Commissioner Theresa Becenti-Aguilar at (505) 827-8019 FAX: 476-0472 EMAIL: T.Becenti@state.nm.us; Assistant: Charmaine.Jackson@state.nm.us;

If you live in the metro Albuquerque area, please contact Commissioner Jason Marks at (505) 827-8015 FAX 476-0324

EMAIL: Jason.Marks@state.nm.us; Assistant: Danielle.Duran@state.nm.us;

If you want to make sure you have the right Commissioner, visit the PRC website:   

 http://www.nmprc.state.nm.us/ 

Additional background:

Renewable energy has been one of the only sectors that has been growing in New Mexico over the past decade. Renewable energy and energy efficiency jobs have grown 50% in contrast with only 2% growth in the rest of our economy. We need to ask our Commissioners to vote to preserve this source of hope for our communities.

We must support the growth of all renewable energy jobs, in solar and geothermal energy as well as wind energy. We must ensure that our local renewable energy businesses stay strong and at the ready for future energy needs. In a few short years the money invested in our solar industry today will be repaid many times over through the taxes and jobs contributed by thriving solar businesses of all types. For example, New Mexico has the real potential to have solar manufacturing, installation, operation and maintenance and even research and development jobs in large numbers. Ask your Commissioner to vote in favor of that future.

The decisions of our Commissioners affect not only our electricity rates, but the availability of good jobs in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors. Encourage them to give significant weight to the economic development benefits of the programs under your jurisdiction. In this time of recession, new jobs are just as important as electricity rates, if not more important. You can help to put our construction tradespeople back to work.

Other states in our region are making big investments in renewable energy. If we fail to embrace our opportunities in this sector, we will only fall behind these states. With our resource potential to become a net energy exporter, the first step is meeting our needs at home.

The time for action is now.

Allan Oliver

CEO, NM Green Chamber of Commerce