Guest Commentary by Dave Contarino – Governor Bill Richardson was always forward thinking and he pressed those of us closest to him to follow suit. Whether challenging staff to look skyward with Spaceport America or building on the transcontinental spirit of America’s railroads with the Railrunner, Richardson imparted on his team the value of always propelling forward.
Commentary in New Mexico Political Report
Dave Contarino is the former campaign manager for former U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman, campaign manager, presidential campaign manager and chief of staff to former Governor Bill Richardson and a senior advisor to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.
Perhaps in response to years of congressional gridlock and UN bottlenecks, Governor Richardson saw a great opportunity as New Mexico’s chief executive to harness the power of government and the private sector to accelerate progress.
In Richardson’s second term, he championed and signed HB 188, which created the Renewable Energy Transmission Authority (RETA) designed to channel New Mexico’s abundance of wind and solar energy resources into an economic driver for the state. Like similar authorities, RETA was charged with planning, licensing, and developing transmission lines and storage projects.. It was further empowered with bonding capacity and has been able to minimize the myriad delays often associated with large scale economic development projects in our state. RETA’s licensure powers attracted large scale investment in transmission infrastructure. The success of RETA has meant that previously stranded wind and solar energy is now able to be unleashed in the market. Because New Mexico produces more renewable energy than it can use locally we became a net renewable energy exporter, and our tax base has expanded.
RETA’s inherent structure allowed for immediate up front construction jobs and hundreds of permanent jobs because it could operate independent of layers of potential permitting snafus. By enacting RETA, the Richardson administration was able to solve a longstanding problem of bureaucratic permitting delays. Witnessing good government in action, heretofore skeptical private investors stepped forward to support and develop Western Spirit, Sun Zia and other successful transmission projects. These infrastructure projects, untethered from departmental booby traps, have injected billions of private largess into our economy.
Studies by the Authority have identified $11 billion in potential renewable energy investment. This potential is directly linked to the Authority’s ability to self license, design and build. The Authority has for years avoided exhaustive and redundant permitting roadblocks, providing cities, counties, and the state a blueprint on how to develop energy resources and stimulate their economic base without their traditional reliance on fossil fuels.
I was happy to read that some in the Legislature are planning on tackling much needed permitting reform at the state level during this upcoming session. I have been especially pleased with Senator Heinrich’s efforts over the years to dismantle federal permitting obstacles that hinder shovel-ready clean energy projects. Heinrich and Senate Energy Committee staff are negotiating the passage of the Speed Act, which would unlock some $100 million dollars of projects previously approved by various federal agencies. The Speed Act is an example of true bi-partisan reform-minded legislation.
In 2007, RETA passed the New Mexico State Senate 26-0 with Republicans joining their Democrat colleagues to accelerate clean energy development. Unfortunately we do not often witness such bipartisanship despite a strong majority of voters wanting their representatives to work together to solve problems. New Mexico’s state leaders and congressional delegation appear ready to accomplish pragmatic permitting reform that can help grow and diversify New Mexico’s economy. Their constituents, most who are frustrated with politically motivated roadblocks to progress, are sure to support–and benefit– such enlightened efforts.