Cool Cities

By Jeff Potter

Recent projections by the University of New Mexico Bureau of Business and Economic Research for population growth in central New Mexico are eye-opening. By the year 2035 there will be another Bernalillo County-size increase in the population along the Rio Grande corridor. These projections lead to concerns such as water availability, infrastructure limitations, and residential and business electricity supply.

Published in the ABQ Journal on August 10

by Shrayas Jatkar, Sierra Club; City Councilor Ike Benton and Tammy Fiebelkorn, eSolved.

We strongly oppose the move to scrap Albuquerque's energy-saving building code. The guaranteed outcomes from such a move are greater energy waste, higher monthly utility bills for consumers and increased pollution.

In a story dated 7/18/11 on the Huffingtonpost.com , it is reported that in “Sizing the Clean Economy: A National and Regional Green Jobs Assessment,” an unbiased report published by Brookings Institute that Albuquerque, NM is the tenth leading American city for the fastest Green Jobs growth.

the following is excerpted from the story:

"# 10. Albuquerque, NM

Construction Industries Commission spent it rolling back energy savings for New Mexicans

The cost of owning a new home just increased for New Mexicans

April 25 - Albuquerque, NM – The New Mexico Construction Industries Commission celebrated Earth Day on Friday by voting to start the process of rolling back the NM Energy Conservation Code - in an apparent bid to appease what some called a "push from industries" in New Mexico. At its April 22nd meeting, the state commission voted unanimously and with little comment to begin the process of public hearings required to amend the code back to the bare minimum required by federal standards.
Click here to listen to the recording of Tammy Fiebelkorn of SWEEP and Kim Shanahan, ED of the Santa Fe Home Builders Association, discussing this issue on the May 14 edition of Green Talk Radio with Faren Dancer on KTRC 1260AM.

Update: This bill was killed in the Senate Conservation Committee on March 1.

Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) is leading efforts to increase energy usage transparency in commercial buildings to unlock opportunities to create jobs and reduce energy costs for businesses. This bill gives tenants and investors the right to know the energy rating for a commercial building before completing a lease or sale transaction, ensuring they can compare the energy efficiency of buildings.

The Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club and the Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy are also major supporters of this bill in the 2011 NM Legislature. Senator Carlos Cisneros is the sponsor for the bill.

COOL CITIES TAKE THE LEAD

Local governments are leading the way with smart energy solutions to global warming. By signing the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions city-wide to 7% below 1990 levels by 2012, these “Cool Cities” are helping consumers save money, creating good jobs, and improving our health and cleaning up the environment.

The Sierra Club’s Cool Cities Campaign works with cities that have joined the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement to accelerate their implementation of effective programs.

In 1Q 2009, David Van Winkle and Dexter Coolidge of the Northern New Mexico Group of the Sierra Club met with Santa Fe Mayor David Coss, City of Santa Fe City Councilors and Santa Fe County Commissioners to convince them to use renewable energy for the Buckman water project. It became a reality last week.