In 2023 Senator Martin Heinrich addressed a systematic failure in government efficiency. Heinrich’s FASTER ACT represented a modernized iteration of the FAST ACT which was crafted to expedite surface transmission projects nationwide and certainly sought to alleviate the multi- year bureaucratic redundancy that stalled the Sun Zia Transmission line which represented a $20 billion dollar injection into southern New Mexico’s economy, a project obviously near and dear to Heinrich. Unfortunately, the FASTER ACT didn’t become law but there is help on the way to unleash critical, clean, and collaborative energy projects right here in New Mexico.
Opinion & Commentary
State Representative Meredith Dixon, a Democrat, represents House District 20 covering Four Hills and parts of the East Mountains and Southeast Albuquerque. She serves on legislative committees covering appropriations, energy and the environment.
Since his efforts in 2023 to build upon common sense permitting legislation and his 2024 vote to advance the bipartisan Energy Permitting Reform Act which, as the the Senator said enables us “to get to yes or no in a lot shorter time frame,” another bipartisan, pragmatic permitting vehicle is headed for a vote this summer in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee which Heinrich is the ranking member. The bipartisan Speed Act amends the National Environmental Policy Act aiming to accelerate energy and infrastructure projects nationally and has a direct impact on clean energy projects here in New Mexico including but not limited to a carbon capture project by the Navajo Transitional Energy Co., a PNM project designed for electricity bill mitigation and grid stability, and a NM Mining and Technology carbon storage hub capable of safely storing fifty (50) million tons of CO2. Additionally, the Speed Act would unlock bureaucratic hurdles for broadband expansion funds, disaster mitigation funds (desperately needed by the state Homeland Security Dept.), the Santa Teresa Land Port of Entry and a myriad of drinking water projects reliant on the the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund administered by the state Environment Dept.
Permitting reform is the best vehicle to advance these projects.
In March of this year Senator Heinrich announced, alongside his colleague from Rhode Island (Whitehorse D-RI), the intention to reopen negotiations on permitting reform in the wake of positive signaling from the Trump administration that there will be “no further interference with already-permitted wind projects.” This action is philosophically aligned with the spirit and goals of the pending Speed Act and I would implore Senator Heinrich to vote to advance the environmentally sound and economically expedient legislation that has clear and immediate positive impacts for clean, renewable energy projects across New Mexico.