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Albuquerque Environmental Initiatives:

  • 2009 Clean Air Challenge: The City of Albuquerque  encouraged citizens to pledge to use the bus, train, walk, bike or carpool from November 2008 thru February 2009
  • The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority conducted a Recharge Demonstration Project in Bear Canyon, an arroyo in the Northeast Heights of Albuquerque. It's goals are to implement the Authority's existing policy on aquifer storage and recover; to use San Juan-Chama water to recharge the aquifer; to use the aquifer to store surplus water and establish a drought reserve; and to establish the right to recover the recharged groundwater.
  • Sandia National Laboratories joined a project with local Native American tribes to test a new solar electricity generating system that will be the power source for a water pump.  
  • Former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson worked vigorously to make this state a leader in renewable energy and clean air technology. 
  • One project encouraged by the state’s green-friendly policy is Mesa del Sol, a new business and residential community currently under development by Forest City Enterprises, Inc., with sustainability at the heart of its criteria.  It has designated 2,600 acres of land for renewable energy research and demonstration. 
  • New Mexico has several non-profit associations formed to promote the use of solar and sustainable energy, to educate the public about its benefits, and to be an advocate in its behalf to government institutions, such as:
  • The State of New Mexico created a separate department dedicated to the promotion of renewable energy, the New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department 
  • The Enchantment Clean Cities Coalition, originally funded by the U.S. DOE, now is taking on independent support. It has coordinated and encouraged the use of biofuels, renewable energy, and vehicular innovation and efficiency throughout the state, making these resources both accessible and affordable to governmental departments, businesses, and individual citizens.
  • Our former governor declared his legislative agenda in the areas of clean energy and a clean environment, designed to invest in the tax incentives, biofuels and green buildings that will continue to make New Mexico the nation’s leader in protecting the environment. It included a $25 million investment in energy efficiency and green buildings, a recurring investment for land, wildlife, and clean energy projects, and $3 million in tax incentives for biofuels, energy efficient appliances and renewable energy manufacturers.   
  • Our former governor established a New Mexico Climate Change Advisory Group
  • Windforce, Inc. and Patriot Wind together reached an agreement with the State Land Office to build a wind ranch in New Mexico.
  • PNM, the electric utility, has the 7th largest wind generation project in the United States. With its commitment to wind energy, the American Wind Energy Association awarded PNM its 2003 Utility Leadership Award.
  • PNM built a solar facility in 2006, which is a 25-kilowatt solar voltaic system.
  • Sacred Power Corporation, located in Albuquerque at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, is a Native American owned/operated small business with a charter to provide renewable and distributive energy and telecommunications solutions. Its core partners have over 40 years of renewable and distributive energy experience in all facets of the technologies. These include photovoltaics, both polycrystalline and thin-film, wind turbines, solar hot water systems, solar hot air systems, and other distributive energy systems such as Dish Stirling.
  • Ecoversity is an educational campus in serving as a demonstration site and community building center for the promotion of sustainable living.
  • The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project is an organization active in a six-state area, including New Mexico, which collaborates with utilities, state agencies, environmental groups, universities, and other energy efficiency specialists to promote energy conservation through state energy legislation, utility energy efficiency programs, building energy codes, analysis of energy efficiency potential, combined heating, cooling, and power systems, and home retrofit. Funding is provided through organizations such as the Energy Foundation, Nevada Power Company, U.S. Department of Energy, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
  • Albuquerque has a gas station with E85 available – an Ever-Ready Oil Company station located downtown at 1200 1st Street NW.
  • There is no state tax on the purchase of hybrid automobiles.
  • ZENN (Zero Emission No Noise) Neighborhood Electric Vehicles are sold at GreenWheels EcoMotors in Los Alamos, NM.
  • The Albuquerque Journal regularly features articles on solar and renewable energy. The mood is right here to support a conference with this theme!