By Rep. Meredith Dixon
Vice Chair Home Appropriation and Finance
District 20 Bernalillo

The climate crisis is urgent, and we want to do every thing we possibly can to decrease carbon emissions. So, when I see an chance to contribute to the fight, I’m all in. 

My passion for addressing climate modify as properly as moving New Mexico forward economically is why I think we want legislation to modernize our method to power production and lowering emissions. In my view, in order to build the important tools and incentives, we should be inventive and prepared to expand our Financial Improvement Division to prioritize sustainable power technologies.

To some this might be an outdoors-the-box thought, but there is no denying that establishing a framework for supporting the improvement and expansion of sophisticated power technologies is essential to meeting our sustainable power targets and becoming carbon totally free by 2045.

As a legislator, I commit a lot of time with entrepreneurs and other inventive minds who in turn commit a lot of their time looking for revolutionary options to huge issues — such as emissions reduction. Their passion is what offers me hope that we can resolve the climate crisis, and operating with these eager, imaginative minds is one particular of the very best components of my job.

Our state has a great deal to provide and is in a exclusive position to turn into a leader in sophisticated power – from our national labs, study universities, abundant renewable sources, and power technologies. 

But also typically, I see that the efforts of the brightest and most committed minds are hampered by “the way we’ve often carried out things” right here in New Mexico. I’ve lost count of the quantity of instances I’ve had somebody share what could be a genuine remedy to a difficulty, only to find out that the potential to give it a attempt is hampered by worry of producing incremental progress, or enabling the fantastic to be the enemy of the very good. 

Let’s be clear — I enjoy that our New Mexico culture is uniquely rooted in our previous. We should continue to shield our heritage, fiercely and passionately, and I hope that under no circumstances adjustments.

But as the climate crisis accelerates and the want for critical, sustainable options accelerates along with it, we urgently want to embrace new technologies that permit us to decrease emissions whilst also meeting the power demands of now.

Practically by definition, these options will come from these vibrant, agile, passionate minds. I appear forward to continuing my operate to give the proper framework for them to succeed.