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March 27, 2025

Growing Against the Odds

Dear all -- with the conclusion of the 2025 legislative session on March 22nd, we want to share a brief overview of what happenned, some legislative highlights, and some reflections on the last 60 days of advocacy.

Often when I see flowers or grass or any plant growing between the cracks of a side-walk, I want to say "thank you." Thank you for growing against the odds; thank you for bringing beauty to desolation; thank you for reminding me, and us, of the quiet but intractable resilience of this Earth in whose life we are bound.

In many ways, I see the advocacy poured out by NM IPL and so many other non-profit communities in this session the same way. We advocated for a future of flourishing for creation and all communities against the odds. The money generated by oil and gas extraction in our state is gargantuan. The revenue of oil and gas globally is unprecedented in the history of profit-making, period. Such power and influence can feel as suffocating as cement, but together we make cracks in the facade that money matters more than people and planet. Out of these cracks, we continue to grow against the odds.

For this reason and so much more, at the end of the day gratitude remains the bedrock on which we stand. Gratitude for the incredible dedication, passion, and heart of the people who came together in coalition to work toward a future of dignity and flourishing for all communities of life. Gratitude for ways we are joining the Earth in a "communion of struggle" for love and justice and joy.

Below you will find a complete list of the bills we followed, advocating for (or against) and how they fared. By no means are these all of the environmental and climate bills of the session. But with our small but mightly organizational capacity, these are the ones we chose to prioritize. Throughout the newsletter, there will be legislative highlights for the bills that passed. We will also have a blogpost on our website soon with all the bills, a short description, where they ended up.

Priority bills that did pass (hooray!)

• Community Benefit Fund (SB 48)
• Innovation in State Government Fund (SB 83)
• Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Act (SB 21)
• Public Utility Rate Structures (HB 91)
• Low-Income Utility Users (SB 156)
• New Mexico Solar Access Fund (HB 128)
• Mount Taylor Cultural and Environmental Integrity (Senate Memorial 14a)
• Mount Taylor as Cultural Property (House Memorial 37)

*Note: everything that passed still needs to be signed by the governor to become law.

Priority bills that did not pass

• Clear Horizons Act (SB 4)
• Extreme Weather Resilience Fund (HB 109)
• Statewide Public Health and Climate Program (HB 108)
• Green Ammendment (HJR 3) (SJR 4)
• Water Security Planning Act Funds (HB 423)
• Facturing Fluid and Disclosure (HB 222)
• Children's Health Protection Zones (HB 35)
• Methane Emissions Reduction Act (SB 99)
• Clean Up of Contaminated Sites (HB 333)
• Responsible Electric Car and Battery End of Life (HB 310)

Bills we did not want to pass



• Strategic Water Supply (HB 137) - passed
• Reclaimed Water Act (HB 311) - tabled
• Zero Emission Vehicle Prohibition (HB 270) - tabled
• Zero Emission Vehicle Rule (SB 139) - tabled

It often takes many sessions to pass a bill, so take heart that many of bills that did not pass will come back in the future and hopefully come back stronger with greater awareness among legislators and advocates. In particular, we hope that comprehensive climate legislation (SB 4), common sense set-backs of oil and gas operations from schools (HB 35), and funding for public health preparedness and resilience to climate change and extreme weather (HB 109 and 108) will get farther along in the coming years!

The Clear Horizons Act (SB 4) would have codified into law climate pollution reductions goals in allignment with the Paris Climate Accords, but sadly it was tabled in the Senate Finance Committee. In the context of oil and gas industry influence in our state politics, this is not surprising but it is still extremrely dissapointing. Despite this, the two others bills that SB 4 was designed to work in tandem with did pass and now await the governor's signature. Those are the Community Benefit Fund (SB 48) and Innovation in State Government Fund (SB 83).

The Community Benefit Fund was somewhat reduced funding-wise, but passed with 210 million. These funds are intended for communities that have been disproportionately impacted by climate change, providing resources for workforce development and retraining, renewable energy and infrastructure projects, energy efficiency upgrades, and other projects that reduce carbon pollution and help build a more sustainable economy.The Innovation in State Government Fund will better equip agencies with the resources and expertise needed to lead in sustainable energy innovation, including: workforce development and accountability for pollution reduction.

If you want take action, it would be lovely to send a note of thanks to Pro Tem Mimi Stewart for her incredible, tireless dedication in bringing forward comprehensive climate legislation.

*Note: the photo is from one of the Clear Horizon Act's first senate hearings - all those folks are raising there hands in support! The public engagement was fantastic!

Pollutant Discharge Elimination

System Act (SB 21)

Following rollbacks to federal clean water protections in recent years, up to 95% of New Mexico’s streams have lost protection once provided under the Clean Water Act. Because of these rollbacks and the lack of a state water quality permitting system, American Rivers named all New Mexico rivers atop its list of the most endangered rivers in the country in its 2024 Most Endangered Rivers report. 

In light of this, it's a huge victory that SB 21 passed! SB 21 ensures federal clean water protections that had existed in New Mexico for decades are continued at the state level. In addition, it provides authority for the state to take over permitting from the federal government for the waters that are still federally protected, streamlining the process and bringing oversight into the hands of New Mexicans.

The next step to enact the Surface Water Permitting Program is a regulatory rule-making process with the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED). There will be steps along the way to be engaged and the final hearings for the rules are expected sometime in the spring of 2026 or later.

Stay tuned for more on the regulatory process!

Stay tuned especially given that the overall landscape for responsible water legislation was not what we hoped for this session. The agenda of the New Mexico Water Advocates was reflected in The Water Security Planning Act Funds (HB 423). This would have funded muched needed regional water planning and more but sadly did not come to fruition. This lack of funding is especially troubling given that the governor's Strategic Water Supply (HB 137) passed through comittees and ultimately both legislative floors with ease despite an immense outpouring of public oppositon.

At NM IPL, we continue to lament the passage of the Strategic Water Supply which allocates 75 million dollars toward treatment of brackish water. Some things were removed from the bill that we advocated for and celebrate, such as excluding treatment of "produced water" (toxic waste water from oil and gas production). Still, we feel this bill represents a grave missaplication of our public funds period, and especially when no remotely comparable funding was granted for the management of our already existing fresh-water resources. If you want to learn more about the Strategic Water Supply and the oil and gas industry logics that underpin it, NM Water Advocates has a greater speaker series you can access HERE.

Three great solar bills finally passed!

NM IPL has advocated for many years now for versions of the following bills, which finally passed in this session! They are:

New Mexico Solar Access Fund (HB 128)  

Establishes a grant fund at the New Mexico Finance Authority, which will issue both planning and implementation grants to Tribes, Counties, Municipalities, School Districts, and Land Grants for solar and storage projects to power public buildings like community centers, libraries, schools, and fire stations, and infrastructure like water, wastewater, and street lighting. Planning includes procuring grant writers and technical expertise to plan and fund projects, and implementation includes funding construction, purchase, installation, and equipment of solar energy and storage systems. Public Power New Mexico has more information HERE.

Low-Income Utility Users (SB 156)

This will help provide stability and financial predictability for low-income solar systems owners by safeguarding the financial benefits of net-metering. The Coalition of Sustainable Communities NM, estimates that over 5,000 low income NM households could receive residential leased or owned systems through over the next 4 years. These systems would have 20-25 yr lifetimes, generating $10,000 - $20,000 in bill savings for low-income households. These savings would disappear if utilities imposed rooftop solar rate riders that don't exempt low-income households (defined as 80% AMI or lower). SB 156 exempts low-income solar cystomers from rate riders, adds a defenition for "low-incme customer" to the public utility act, and directs annual verification of low-income customers.

Public Utility Rate Structures (HB 91) 

Our friends at the Southwestern Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) and Prosperity Works, worked hard to pass this bill that gives investor-owned utilities the power to provide New Mexico's most vulnerable residents with lower electric and gas bills. This bill grants the PRC (Public Regulatory Commission) the authority to review and approve reasonable low-income rate proposal submitted by Investor Owned Utilities. It supports utilities in addressing energy burdens while ensuring that rates meet regulatory standards for fairness and reasonableness.

Memorials on Mount Taylor

(SM 14 and HM 37)

Two memorials were initiated by Senator Angel Charley which passed in both the House and Senate. These memorials uplift the sacredness of Mount Taylor to Pueblos of Acoma, Laguna, and Zuni, the Hopi Tribe and Navajo Nation and call for protections of the mountain's ecological intergrity overall and particularly from uranium mining. Among the many things the memorial calls for are the United States Congress to reform the Mining Act of 1872 to "priortize protection of sacred sites and require meaningful tribal consultation."

Memorials do not have the force of law but they help pave a way forward for future legislation. Additionally, these memorials will call for an interim committee process to study the issue.

Along with a sparse snowpack this year, the new federal administration brings with it increased risk for uranium mining resumption and development on Mount Taylor, which you can read about more HERE.