This month, the ReNew Mexico team sat down with Missi Currier, the President and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Lea County, a dedicated group with a deep understanding of our state’s vast energy potential and awareness of how it can help our communities.
The Economic Development Corporation of Lea County (EDCLC) is a nonprofit organization with a two-fold mission which includes: attracting and recruiting economic-based jobs to Lea County and retaining current businesses. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, their focus shifted more toward the latter and helping existing businesses get information on state and federal grants as well as providing PPE. To achieve this, EDCLC consolidated the resources on their website and began conducting individual outreach to member companies and sponsoring events to extend their reach.
After making adjustments, things are starting to pick up again. A year ago, EDCLC was working on addressing internal challenges with bringing businesses to Lea County. The County has the land available to expand and attract projects, but they did not have the existing workforce or housing options to support potential workers due to the booming economy. With the slowdown, the EDCLC was able to start addressing these needs, and they are now finding businesses interested in expanding into Lea County again.
EDCLC is acutely aware of the energy production potential in their area. Accurately referring to their energy hub as the “EnergyPlex”, they are looking to bring in and expand all types of energy projects to complement one another. From oil and gas, which has been the bedrock of the County, to the 300 plus days of sunshine and wind potential, EDCLC knows just how much energy projects can flourish and how much they can help bring in jobs and revenue.
Looking beyond the immediate benefits, they also see a potential market with manufacturing. Currently, nearly all energy generation and resources are exported out of the state to be manufactured and used elsewhere. Not only could NM manufacturing help cut costs by being done within the state, it could also help stabilize and bring in additional revenue to our own economy in the long term.
Even as things are slowly starting to look up, the work is far from over in EDCLC’s eyes. As our state looks toward economic recovery, they hope to see a regulatory environment that helps businesses get back on their feet as soon as possible. Even as vaccines begin to roll out, COVID-19 will continue to be part of our lives for the foreseeable future and having regulations can help us navigate through.
ReNew Mexico looks forward to watching Lea County’s economy and energy project hub continue to develop in the coming years. For anyone looking to expand their business or become part of the Permian Basin, the Economic Development Corporation of Lea County would like you to know Lea County is open for business. To view their contact information and updates click here.