Sometimes it feels like legislation and climate plans are being made around me while I, a fixed-income, disabled war veteran, suffer the direct impacts of the current climate crisis with no hope for change anytime soon. When policymakers talk about transitioning to renewables, sometimes I wonder if they are keeping all of the residents they serve in mind in terms of our means, ability and hurdles to making these drastic changes.
Based on the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions 2021 “Veterans Profile,” approximately 9.1% of New Mexico’s population are veterans. How many of these veterans are 100% retired or 100% disabled is not calculated, but if any of them are like me, they are 100% disabled. This means for some time I have not had income to file taxes on, nor am I mandated to file taxes on disability income. So what good would a federal or state solar tax credit do for me? Don’t even mention folks who live on SSI or SSD; we are for the most part in the same boat and do not file taxes, therefore are ineligible for these tax benefits. In addition, in order to get solar you must own your home, and in New Mexico, according to the U.S. Census, just 68.2% of residents own their home. What are folks who rent going to do with a tax credit for solar? Even with 68% homeownership, many do not have expendable income to purchase solar panels. Even in the best-case scenario we are looking at a very specific group of people who are potential beneficiaries of state/federal solar tax credits: homeowners who file taxes on income significant enough to receive a few thousand dollars in tax credits and have the liquid income to get panels on their homes in the first place. It’s safe to say a majority of New Mexicans, just like me, will not be enjoying solar energy any time soon. We need more options for all of our communities to access the affordable, renewable energy we need if we are going to actually address climate change.
I want choices that allow me to participate in making the world a better place. I want to reduce my carbon footprint, and being a first time mother to an infant it sure would be nice to have a reduced rate in my electricity bill. The Local Choice Energy Act, SB 165, is a piece of legislation that was recently introduced in the New Mexico State Senate that would meet my needs as a consumer, parent and person who is disabled due to environmental toxins. This legislation would empower local governments to generate, purchase and price affordable renewable electricity that would be transmitted over the existing utility’s grid for the same fees they charge their customers. This bill could lower our electricity bills while creating jobs and using New Mexico’s ample sunshine. Local Choice Energy is proven, existing in 10 states, serving millions of Americans in more than 1,300 communities with affordable, reliable, renewable electricity. There is also a lot of federal funding on the table that this legislation could help our communities leverage to build out clean energy generation infrastructure. Yet this is PNM’s No. 1 “kill bill.” Why?
So long as investor-owned utilities, like PNM, continue holding a monopoly that puts money into Wall Street and their shareholders’ pockets, and by extension into our policymakers’ coffers, getting renewables is going to be uphill for all of us. This is why the folks need to support SB 165 and hold both Democrats and Republicans, alike, accountable for making decisions that give all of us a fighting chance at renewables and accelerate our transition to clean energy. Not just for us, but for future generations.
