Renewable Energy Projects Are Driving Economic Development

You don’t often find a report that summarizes a great trend for New Mexico communities looking for local innovation and resiliency in economic development like this one. It also happens to define what we, ReNew Mexico, are all about. More renewable energy project potential driving the right kind of economic development for all New Mexicans.

 

“The Los Lunas model could be replicated in any number of communities seeking fiscal and payroll stability built on economic diversification and sustainable energy models.”

 

Local New Mexico business and government leaders are beginning to recognize the clear opportunity for renewable energy project development and transmission and innovative technology to meet the growing economic, employment and sustainable energy needs of their colleagues and voters. It’s no wonder why the first official partner of ReNew Mexico was the Los Lunas Chamber of Commerce, who has seen firsthand the impact Facebook is having there.

 

Recently, the Socorro County Commissioners also saw the light regarding the SunZia transmission line re-route by supporting the new route for the project and rescinding previous resolutions that objected to initial routes. We applaud the Commission (and you should to0) for taking this step and realizing the SunZia transmission line is a critical catalyst in the renewable energy-economic development formula similar to Facebook’s data center in Los Lunas. 

 

According to the Socorro County Commission resolution, this transmission project will carry 4,500 MW of renewable energy from NM and AZ to the Southwestern U.S. Without the necessary transmission projects being built, the renewable energy projects and their local benefits would not come to fruition and the Facebooks of the world would not be coming to New Mexico.

 

While local communities are struggling to revive their economies and get their residents back to work, there are glimmers of light in sectors of our economy that can lead us back to fiscal health, if state and local decision-makers stay the course and support more and more renewable energy projects and the positive domino effect they can have by reaching all New Mexicans.