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New Mexico's Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham came into office in 2019 full of promises of a greener future. However, her administration has taken a hands-off approach to climate policy and oil and gas emissions, arguing that the state needs the revenues from oil and gas too much to slow drilling.
This spring, the state legislative session concluded without taking any steps to curb emissions or slow the rampant drilling within New Mexico. "The idea that we can be leaders on climate change while continuing to give the industry free rein is just a lie, a huge lie," said activist Castille Aguilar.
The problem is that New Mexico runs on oil: over one-third of the state's budget comes from oil and gas revenue, funding everything from public education and public safety to health and human services.
Additionally, oil and gas operators have a large influence in state and local elections, with industry funds being the largest source of campaign contributions in 2020. These contributions span both political parties and almost every level of government, with more than half of the oil and gas contributions coming from entities outside New Mexico.
A transition to clean energy in the state will need to contend with the grip of oil and gas on New Mexico's politics and budget, re-evaluating sustainable funding options. But many think it is possible. Bill Jordan, the government relations officer at New Mexico Voices for Children, said, "Other states have figured out how to pay the bills… and they do it without oil and gas."
Meanwhile, Stephanie Garcia Richard, public lands commissioner and head of the office that oversees state land use, is focused on developing a transition plan. The office has begun leasing land to renewable energy companies and looking at recreation, manufacturing, and research as potential income sources for the state.
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It's very important for people to have that access and be able to connect with nature and also to learn how to be good stewards, because the future of all these lands and the wildlife depends on people caring about them and being good stewards of the land."
