Oil and gas funds everything from campaigns to government functions in New Mexico, complicating the state’s transition away from fossil fuels
By Lindsay Fendt, Searchlight NM
May 19, 2021
On March 15, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham sent a letter to President Joe Biden, praising his commitment to climate action and touting New Mexico’s leadership in the area. She then asked if oil and gas leasing in the state could continue in spite of a federal moratorium.
New Mexico, she said, was already contributing to stopping climate change — and it needed the revenues from oil and gas too much to slow drilling. As though to reinforce her point, the state legislative session concluded the following week without taking any steps to curb oil and gas emissions.
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