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Please sign the petition to the Environmental Improvement Board (EIB) and tell them you want clean air for the San Juan Basin

Beginning on Wednesday, October 26, at 9:00 am, the EIB will hear technical testimony and public comment on a proposed rule, prepared by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from coal-fired power plants. The hearing will continue through Friday, October 28, or as long as is necessary.

Currently, the only plant affected by the proposed rule is the San Juan Generating Station (SJGS). PNM has shut down SJGS and is currently selling equipment ahead of dismantling and cleaning the facility. Enchant Energy has long tried to prevent the plant from closing so it can continue to produce coal-fired energy using carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), despite the fact that 80% of CCS projects in the United States have failed, either outright or in meeting their promised carbon emission reductions.

The proposed rule before the EIB fails to fully implement the requirements for CO2 emissions of the Energy Transition Act (ETA). The ETA requires that electricity generation is limited to 1,100 pounds of CO2 emissions per megawatt hour “on and after January 1, 2023.”

     The NMED proposed rule, would:

  • Allow SJGS to exceed the 1,100 pound per megawatt hour (lbs/MWh) limit for actual electricity delivered for customer use
  • Allow SJGS to operate beyond the January 1, 2023, deadline without meeting the CO2 emissions limit

You can attend the meeting either in person or virtually. Any member of the public may offer non-technical public comment at the hearing. There will be multiple opportunities each day for public comment, at 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm on Wednesday, October 26, and at 9:00 am and 1:00 pm on Thursday, October 27. If you need assistance signing up for public comment, please reach out to Sammi Kao at samantha@cvnm.org. 

The in-person hearing will be held at the San Juan College Information Technology Building, Room 7103, 4601 College Blvd., Farmington, NM 87402. Information and instructions on how to join the hearing virtually are available here or on the NMED calendar at the calendar entry corresponding to the hearing start date. 

Please sign the petition today to help ensure that the ETA’s intent is preserved and protect the air and residents in the San Juan Basin, and support New Mexico’s efforts to lead the nation on climate action. 

Sign the Petition

 

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