By Kiley Kroh | Climate Progress
New Mexico energy regulators altered the state’s renewable energy law this week, infuriating renewable energy advocates who say the move will stunt the state’s growing solar industry. The changes made by the Public Regulation Commission (PRC) will permit utilities to use less solar energy.
Doug Howe, a former regulator with the PRC, said it appears the changes will essentially “cut the solar industry in New Mexico in half,” the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.
The rule, passed less than a year ago, establishes how much wind, solar, and other forms of renewable energy can be added by utilities in order to comply with the state’s renewable portfolio standard — a law requiring a certain percentage of the state’s electricity come from clean energy sources. Utilities then used certificates to prove to regulators that they were meeting the requirements; so one kilowatt-hour of wind, solar, or geothermal energy earned the utility one credit.
If you’d like to discuss energy issues, contact Court Rich, director of Rose Law Group’s Renewable Energy Department at crich@roselawgroup.com
