CERTAIN NATURAL GAS AS RENEWABLE ENERGY

HB 273 amends New Mexico's Renewable Energy Act and Rural Electric Cooperative Act to redefine "renewable energy resource" to include natural gas used in combined cycle technology. This change would allow rural electric cooperatives and public utilities to count natural gas power generation toward their renewable energy requirements. The bill adds natural gas to the list of qualifying resources alongside solar, wind, and geothermal, without requiring additional emissions criteria for this category. The bill passed committee but was postponed indefinitely on June 3, 2025. It does not alter the existing "zero carbon" standards for other resources like biomass or hydropower.