Friday, September 25, 2009

New York Passes Major Energy Efficiency Legislation - New Mexico Should Too

Recently the New York State Assembly passed outstanding legislation aimed at tackling one of the toughest problems we face in the energy arena: how to make buildings more efficient. According to the New York Times, "the bill would enable state energy regulators to loan out funds to cover the upfront costs of improving the energy efficiency of a home or business — as much as $13,000 for residential customers and as much as $26,000 for qualifying businesses. The loan would then be paid back through monthly deductions culled from the energy savings arising from the retrofit." The entire article can be found HERE.

After the last session of our New Mexico Legislature, I think we could get something similar done here. Renewable energy is popular in the legislature, and a measure like the one passed by New York would likely do well. Stay tuned.