The current administration has prioritized fossil fuels over renewables, but that hasn't stopped New Mexico from embracing wind and solar.
With nearly 300 days of sunshine, it's among the top 12 states for solar production, even as it's also the second-largest oil-producing state. Last month, $10 million in bonds were approved for a new community solar farm near Las Cruces that could power 1,000 households.
Carlos Matutes, program director of New Mexico GreenLatinos, said state tax credits help those who want to install solar, but more could be done, considering 40-percent of rural communities experience double-digit unemployment.
"If we're focusing on building out utility-scale renewables, that's a bridge between poverty and prosperity," he said, "a just transition that can actually work for our communities."
The Trump administration ended a nationwide federal solar tax credit, but New Mexicans still are eligible for the state's credit. Plus, solar systems are exempt from property tax assessments. When it comes to wind generation, SunZia Wind and Transmission is set to be the largest renewable project in the Western Hemisphere – a wind farm and transmission line designed to power 3 million homes in New Mexico and Arizona. Project construction began in 2023 with startup expected this year.
In 2026, GreenLatinos is accelerating its three-year strategic plan to build Latino environmental power, focused on securing funding for public lands, advocating for environmental justice, and launching community initiatives.
Matutes said greater political will is needed to boost renewables.
"Sixty-two percent of Latino households in New Mexico are in areas with unhealthy levels of ozone pollution – close to fossil-fuel infrastructure," he said. "So, this is an environmental justice issue."
The oil and gas industry supports at least 100,000 jobs in New Mexico. At the same time, experts estimate viable oil and gas reserves in the United States may only last another 40 to 50 years. But Matutes said those employed in extraction could make a decent living in the renewable industry and help build up New Mexico's middle class.
"And workers in oil and gas have skills that can be translated into building out utility-scale renewables," he said.