NM Pop Politics

It might seem like a no-brainer that Green Party Public Regulation Commission candidate Rick Lass yesterday secured the endorsement of the Sierra Club’s Rio Grande chapter. But in reality, Sierra Club requirements for political endorsements can be challenging. So was Lass a slam dunk? According to the chair of the club’s Northern Group, Lass did OK in the endorsement process—particularly compared with Democratic opponent Jerome Block Jr., who never returned the questionnaire. In a harshly worded press release on the Lass endorsement, the Sierra Club notes that Block “has nothing on his website, did not answer our questionnaire, and seems to have difficulty presenting his position on anything.”

According to John Buchser, chair of the Northern Group, in order for a candidate to receive endorsement, he or she goes through two votes from both the smaller and larger chapter, whose membership area covers the particular race. At that second level, which in this case is the larger Rio Grande chapter, candidates need a 2/3 vote to be approved for endorsement. This, Buchser acknowledges, can be a challenging threshold. For instance, in the six-way Democratic June primary, the club was unable to get a 2/3 vote for a candidate, in part because three of the candidates: Bruce Throne, Joe Maestas and Paul Campos, all seemed qualified and had their own base of supporters. (PRC Chair Jason Marks also has been endorsed by Sierra Club for re-election).

Another criteria the club applies is viability. “If we had a candidate we thought was wonderful and had no chance of winning, there’s a chance slim chance of us endorsing [that candidate],” Buchser tells me.

In addition to actually filling out his questionnaire, Lass showed openness during a follow-up interview, Buchser says. “I wouldn’t call his answers strong, but when we interviewed him he was open to our opinions and he listened to what he had to say.”

Block, on the other hand, returned his questionnaire, via e-mail, but there was no attachment with the answers, Buchser says. In fact, the club went back and forth for two weeks with Block, who never did send an attached response. As a result, the club did not interview him.

“We felt if he couldn’t even answer the questionnaire after a whole tirade of e-mails going back and forth, we didn’t feel it was necessary [to talk to him],” Buchser says.

(Block also failed to provide the League of Women Voters with a response to its questionnaire.

The Sierra Club’s questionnaire, by the way, has some great questions that voters will appreciate hearing candidates’ responses to. Well, candidate, anyway. Here’s Lass’ responses, courtesy Sierra Club.

Rick Lass’ Sierra Club questionnaire

Sierra Club Questionnaire –

1.    Why would you like to be endorsed by the Sierra Club?

I would be honored to receive the endorsement from the Sierra Club. The Sierra Club is a well respected organization that works at many levels to promote New Mexico’s unique environment- from regular hiking activities to publishing educational materials to promoting good governmental policies.

2.    What are your environmental achievements, experience, or affiliation as a government official and as a private citizen?

When I began to get involved in social and political action in the mid-90’s, my very first actions were to oppose the expansion of the Copar/El Cajete pumice mines in the Jemez and trying to stop the WIPP. Since then, I have worked locally and at the state level against Santa Fe’s ‘nuclear laundry’, ski area expansion, and the Desert Rock coal fired plant, and advocated for Santa Fe’s Mayor Coss signing on as a “Mayor for Kyoto Protocol” and for higher renewable standards portfolios. One of the reasons I am a member of the Green Party of NM is that our party platform has the strongest environmental policies of any political party.

3.    What would you consider are the most important environmental issues facing the citizens of New Mexico?

Clean air and water have to be at the top of this list, and the dangers posed both by coal and gas fired generators and by nuclear waste are major threats to both of these. The nuclear industry in this state, from the uranium mining on Navajo lands to the planned enrichment facility near Eunice, to weapons production at Sandia and Los Alamos, to the ‘disposal’ site at WIPP is creating a legacy that will last longer than humanly imaginable. On the positive side, New Mexico is blessed with open space and wilderness that is the envy of other states, and we must continue to protect places like Otero Mesa and the Valle Vidal so that these areas are here for future generations to enjoy.

4.    What role can the PRC play in improving the environment in New Mexico?

The PRC can and must act to ensure all future developments in electricity production come from highly efficient, clean and distributed sources. While customer side efficiency and conversation are important, we must also look at the supply side, where utilities are burning three to four times the fuel they need because their systems are so inefficient. Al Gore’s challenge to be fossil fuel free in ten years may be a high standard, but it must be one we seek. As a commissioner, I will be actively engaged with the state legislature to promote higher fuel efficiency standards for electricity generation and for automobiles, especially for regulated transportation companies, higher renewable portfolios for electricity producing companies, and in making polluters responsible for meaningful cleanup efforts.

ENERGY

5.    How can the PRC encourage conservation and renewable sources of energy?

As a commissioner, I will work to repeal the “energy efficiency surcharge” recently awarded by the legislature. Instead, we should be giving lower rates to consumers who regularly reduce consumption. We should also be giving incentives and rebates to people who upgrade to more efficient appliances, and to people who install solar panels on their rooftops. The number of people participating in the no longer new net metering program is way too low, and efforts should be made to encourage home owners and local businesses to get enrolled, again, using incentives like rebates and tax credits. Again, the PRC should just say no to future investments in coal and gas fired and nuclear generators.

6.    What rules should the PRC issues to encourage renewable energy and energy efficiency programs?

The PRC should make it as easy as possible for homeowners and others to tie into the grid with rooftop solar panels and other small scale generation. As a part of their operating agreement, PNM and other utility providers should be required to put solar panels on all government and public owned buildings and to buy all excess power generated by these. The PRC should initiate a comprehensive energy efficiency program to help home and business owners purchase energy efficient appliances and analyze structures and systems to find out where inefficiencies exist and how to remedy these. I envision the PRC hiring a crew of experts that make low cost home visits as a part of this program.

7.    What is your opinion on utility recovery of stranded cost?

Stranded costs is just double speak for bad investments. Regulated monopolies need to be held to a higher standard than other corporations, who may be forced out of business if they are not careful with their expenditures. It is the job of the PRC to make sure customers are not paying the price of poor decisions by utility company management.

8.     Arizona Public Service has just announced a 280MW concentrated solar plant with energy storage.  How do you view concentrating solar’s future in New Mexico’s energy supply?  What barriers do you see in concentrating solar and do you have ideas as to how they can be overcome?

While I much prefer solar to coal and nuclear, the problem I see with concentrating solar is that it still uses the old paradigm of centralized generators with massive transmission structures. With new technologies should come new methods, and solar is much better suited to small scale generation and local distribution. Our energy supply will be both more efficient and more reliable if we build many small scale generators. As an example, look at the blackouts in the northeast a couple of years ago that wiped out electricity from St Louis to New York. These would not have been so widespread if there were more small scale generators instead of (or in addition to) the current system (no pun intended!)

9.    How do you view mandatory versus voluntary renewable energy programs?

Mandatory programs for our utility providers seems like a great idea, but only if done right. The current system of allowing rate increases to pay for infrastructure for the companies who then turn around and make a profit off of ratepayer investments seems flawed.

I would work to strongly incentivise small scale electricity generation which would include net metering with guarantees that excess energy will be put on to the grid and that a high rate is paid for that electricity.

10.    Should there be a Systems Benefits Fund (a tariff on the ratepayer that can be used for education, renewable energy projects, rural electrical infrastructure, etc.)?  If so, what elements should be included and how should it be implemented?

I think that ratepayers should pay only for the service they receive. As it is, ratepayers with PNM can voluntarily join the Sky Blue program to help fund renewables. Ironically, these same customers who voluntarily pay for wind energy (some pay extra for “90%” of their utility needs) are now stuck with an emergency rate increase due to the price of petroleum. The PRC missed the ball on that one.

TRANSPORTATION

11.    What actions can the PRC take to encourage efficient transportation systems by private carrier?

The PRC should make it easier for transportation companies to start up operations. One current application before the PRC for an additional taxi company in Santa Fe will take over a year before a decision is reached regarding a license to operate. Those kinds of delays discourage small businesses and innovation.

In addition, the PRC should be a better advocate for customers- I have heard story after story of the PRC failing to truly investigate complaints about poor service, and not just in the transportation field. Finally, the PRC must take it role seriously regarding safety issues- all transportation services vehicles should be routinely inspected by independent mechanics.

12.    Are there any ways that the PRC can improve public transportation though its regulation of private transportation?

Again, we will need more and better private transportation as use of public transportation increases. Large numbers of people taking the Road Runner, for example, will need to get from the station to their destination, and public busses and the like can not adequately fulfill that role. I completely support public transportation (and pedestrian and cyclist friendly cities, for that matter), but the fact is that some private transportation companies are needed to make public transportation more ‘user friendly’.

GENERAL/OTHER

13.    Do you see environmental impacts from PRC regulations of any of the other industries that the PRC regulates (i.e. pipeline safety, insurance, telecommunications?)

Clearly, pipeline safety has enormous environmental consequences. Failure of the PRC to perform diligently in this area could have catastrophic results.

Improvements to our telecommunications infrastructure could provide enormous benefits to New Mexico residents and to our environment. The recent discussion of moving to a four day work week to reduce commuting costs often fails to mention the positive environmental aspects of fewer cars on the road, but that would be a great benefit of increased telecommuting as well. The PRC has not been firm enough with enforcing Qwest’s promise to invest in rural telecom infrastructure, and that has slowed down economic development and kept more cars on the road