Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department Awarded $300,000 from DOE

Energy, Mineral and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) announced that New Mexico is one of ten states to be awarded $300,000 for opportunities in energy efficiency and renewable energy innovation. The U.S. Department of Energy selected New Mexico for project funding to advance energy efficiency practices and to improve energy affordability, reliability and resiliency. New Mexico’s project builds on the foundation of New Mexico’s Energy Roadmap, a statewide energy project based on the principles of Governor Martinez’s “all of the above” Energy Policy and Implementation Plan of 2015.

Three goals from the Energy Roadmap will be addressed by the newly created Financial Resiliency through Energy Efficiency (FREE) Project: advance strategies to strengthen New Mexico’s overall energy economy by 2027; New Mexico to become a top 20 state for energy efficiency by 2027; and measurably increase energy efficiency behaviors by New Mexicans by 2027.

“New Mexico’s Energy Roadmap points to energy efficiency and this project will develop the specific financial models to help reach our goals,” said Energy Conservation and Management Division Director Louise Martinez.

The FREE project was developed by the NM Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department with cooperation from NM Taxation and Revenue Department, NM Economic Development Department, NM Public Regulation Commission, NM Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, New Mexico’s Regional Councils of Governments, North Central NM Economic Development District, The Natural Conservancy, Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, Yearout Energy Services, Trane, McKinstry Co., ECI/OpTerra Energy Services, and Amerersco.

The FREE project will support regionally-oriented modeling and discussions about which energy efficiency practices might be most effective in various regions of the state and will tie these practices to statewide revenue resiliency and diversification objectives.

The Energy, Conservation and Management Division (ECMD) will implement and coordinate the FREE Project. ECMD, a division of the New Mexico Energy Minerals and Natural Resources Department, develops and implements effective clean energy programs to promote environmental and economic sustainability for New Mexico and its citizens.   Information on New Mexico clean energy programs, projects, and the Energy Roadmap are available online at www.CleanEnergyNM.org.