What lies ahead for CRELA in 2017-2018?
Continued efforts at the New Mexico Legislature in conjunction with renewable energy companies to expand the New Mexico Production Tax Credit.
Oppose a new bill at the New Mexico Legislature to ban coyote calling contests. If enact-ed, this will open the door for more regulations and legislation to protect coyotes and will create new burdens for landowners and renewable energy developers.
Oppose efforts in Congress to deny Federal Production Tax Credits to wind projects that intend to locate within 30 miles of a military installation. Our Congress must be educated on the Department of Defense Siting Clearinghouse process and the Federal Aviation Ad-ministration guidelines. Congress must also be made aware of the discriminatory nature and unlawful restraint of trade this legislation’s passage would cause. It is also an ad-verse taking of private property rights.
Oppose a bill in the 2017 New Mexico Legislature that will restrict private gun sale trans-fers, a clear infringement upon the rights of rural landowners to defend their land and family well being against criminal intent and predatory animals.
Continued opposition to any new listings of any animals as threatened or endangered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
Continued opposition to any new expansion of the definition of “Waters of the United States by the United States Army Corps of Engineers or the Environmental Protection Agency. The proposals that have been put forth will severely curtail rural land use and in many instances stop renewable energy development.
Continued support for new regional transmission expansion and development.
Continued education outreach efforts between the renewable energy industry, landown-ers, government and the consumer/public.
Continued engagement with the New Mexico Legislature and other state government agencies to promote awareness of the benefits to the state of renewable energy develop-ment and encouraging New Mexico to be more proactive on transmission development for the benefit of New Mexico based projects.