NATURAL GAS AS RENEWABLE ENERGY

HB 226 amends New Mexico's Rural Electric Cooperative Act and Renewable Energy Act to redefine "renewable energy resource" by adding "natural gas using combined cycle technology" to the list of qualifying sources. This change directly affects rural electric cooperatives and public utilities, allowing them to count electricity generated from this specific natural gas technology toward renewable energy requirements. The bill does not make natural gas renewable in general, but explicitly excludes other fossil fuels while including this combined cycle method under the definition. This is a technical definitional update, not a new policy requirement, and aligns with existing provisions that exclude most fossil fuels.