Energy (Renewable Energy)

HB 250 changes the membership structure of New Mexico's Technology and Innovation Network Advisory Board. It removes representatives from the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Navajo Technical University, and Central New Mexico Community College as core members, and reduces public members from 11 to nine. The nine public members must now have experience in investment or entrepreneurial support specifically within four target sectors: aerospace/space, biosciences, clean energy/water, and advanced computing. These changes streamline board representation without altering the board’s core duties of advising on strategic planning, industry engagement, and funding recommendations for the state’s technology division.

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.

HB 113, the Renewable Energy Production Tax Act, imposes a 3.75% excise tax on electricity generated from renewable sources (solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal, or qualifying biomass) at commercial facilities in New Mexico. It applies to electricity sold in the wholesale market, with tax calculated based on the monthly average wholesale price, and requires payment by the 25th of the following month. Revenue from this tax will be directed to the Severance Tax Permanent Fund, and the law exempts government entities, tribal lands, and small-scale personal use (under 500 kWh daily). The tax begins on January 1, 2027, affecting commercial renewable energy producers but not residential or exempt entities.