NEW MEXICO
Utility has plan for growing electric vehicle use
ALBUQUERQUE — New Mexico's largest electric provider has a plan for incentivizing the buildout of infrastructure that would be needed to bolster the use of electric vehicles in the expansive state where gas stations can be few and far between and charging stations are even more rare.
The Public Service Co. of New Mexico submitted the proposal to state regulators the week of Dec. 14, saying the filing is the result of more than a year of research and community outreach. It details a series of customer rebate proposals for installing charging infrastructure and charging during off-peak times.
The application marks the first one filed by PNM under a 2019 law that requires public utilities to submit plans to the Public Regulation Commission by 2021 for how they will expand the infrastructure for electric transportation.
The law calls for regulators to take into account several factors, including how the plans will increase access to the use of electric vehicles by underserved communities and whether any reductions in pollution can be expected.
Utilities also can recover reasonable costs related to implementation of the plans through increases in customer rates. PNM estimates its program will cost close to $8.5 million over two years.
If regulators sign off, PNM officials said a full rollout could happen as early as 2022.
Julie Rowey, a PNM executive, pointed to data from the New Mexico Interagency Climate Change Task Force that found transportation was the second-largest contributor of greenhouse gases in the state. In testimony submitted to the commission, she said electrification of the transportation sector will be key to meeting the state's overall goals for reducing emissions.
In Santa Fe, the state Dec. 21 announced the installation of 30 new charging stations for use by both government and private vehicles. The General Services Department oversaw the $1.5 million project and plans to ask the Legislature for another $1 million to continue its shift to electric vehicles.
University grows brand with official coffee
LAS CRUCES — New Mexico State University is growing its brand with a new coffee.
Named after the desert peak that looms over the Las Cruces campus, "A" Mountain Roast adds to the school's collection of collegiate-licensed products. NMSU already has official beer, wine and whiskey.
The school announced the new coffee and its partnership with California-based Estas Manos Coffee Roasters on Dec. 21, saying the company has New Mexico roots and is currently operating in Las Cruces. The coffee will be available online, at Estas Manos popup locations and at other Las Cruces retailers.
A portion of the proceeds will support more than 400 student athletes.
Athletic Director Mario Moccia said he's been looking forward to having an official Aggie coffee for some time.
Estas Manos was founded in 2018 by Nicholas Gonzales, along with business partner Leandra Gamboa, who is from Las Cruces and a graduate of NMSU.
Gonzales described the roast as bold with a smooth finish. He said he hopes it sparks Aggie spirit and inspires thoughts of "A" Mountain.
The landmark has been part of NMSU history for decades. Since the 1920s, the football field-sized "A" atop Tortugas Mountain has been maintained by the university. Each year, students give the "A" a coat of fresh paint to mark the beginning of a new spring semester.
NEBRASKA
Universities form alliance to lure Space Command
OMAHA — Four Midwestern universities have formed a space-oriented academic and research alliance aimed at luring the U.S. Space Command headquarters to Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska.
University of Nebraska President Ted Carter said the partnership with the University of North Dakota, Kansas State University and Purdue would develop new degree programs and research initiatives, the Omaha World-Herald reported.
Offutt is among the six finalists to become the headquarters for the new Space Command, which was reactivated as a separate combatant command last year after 17 years as part of the Offutt-based U.S. Strategic Command.
Other finalists are Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado, Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, Patrick Air Force Base in Florida, Redstone Army Airfield in Alabama and the former Kelly Air Force Base in Texas.
Carter said he contacted Kansas State President Richard Myers, North Dakota Chancellor Mark Hagerott and Purdue President Mitch Daniels about forming the initiative.
Their universities collectively enroll 163,000 students and already offer programs in engineering, space law, cybersecurity and information technology.
A final decision by the Air Force on the headquarters location is expected in mid-January.
WYOMING
Lawmakers weighing options for 2021 general session
CHEYENNE — After state lawmakers decided in November to delay most of the 2021 general session beyond January due to COVID-19 concerns, plans for the 66th Wyoming Legislature are still up in the air, with a couple main options being considered by legislative leadership.
Lawmakers on the Management Council, which includes chamber leaders from both parties, decided to postpone the session, as legislative staff raised concerns about the challenging logistics of holding a standard, in-person session starting in January.
A few aspects required by the Wyoming Constitution, such as the swearing in of new lawmakers, the adoption of rules and the delivery of an address from Gov. Mark Gordon, will carry on as planned Jan. 12, with lawmakers planning to convene virtually for those events.
However, the rest of the plan remains to be decided, with lawmakers mainly considering two options, according to an email sent in mid-December to all members of the new Legislature by incoming House Speaker Eric Barlow, R-Gillette, and Senate President Dan Dockstader, R-Afton.
According to the email, after conducting some initial business Jan. 12, legislative leadership will assess in late January whether an in-person session could be held soon after — likely in early March — with the decision largely depending on local virus trends and the availability of COVID-19 vaccines.
The email also offers an alternative plan in case local public health conditions have not improved enough to meet in person, including a virtual session starting in February to consider
Gov. Mark Gordon's supplemental budget, which includes roughly $500 million in cuts.
UTAH
Congress passes bill on Navajo Nation water rights
SALT LAKE CITY — Congress has passed a long-awaited bill that would address water availability issues for residents living on the Navajo Nation in Utah who lack access to running water — a problem exacerbated by the pandemic.
The Utah Navajo Water Rights Settlement Act was passed on Dec. 21 as part of a massive $2.3 trillion spending bill that includes $900 billion in coronavirus relief and a $1.4 trillion omnibus spending package, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.
President Donald Trump signed the legislation on Dec. 27.
"This is truly a historic milestone for the Navajo people and the state of Utah," Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said in a statement Monday.
The legislation would recognize the Navajo Nation's right to 81,500 acre feet of water from the Colorado River basin in Utah, enough to meet the annual demand for 160,000 typical households. It would also settle the tribe's current and future water rights claims and provide $220 million to build much-needed water projects in San Juan County.
About 40% of the Navajo Nation homes in the county currently do not have access to running water and residents often fill containers at public taps or rely on water deliveries from volunteer organizations.
Nez thanked Republican state Sen. Mitt Romney, Democratic state Rep. Ben McAdams and Republican state Rep. Rob Bishop for advocating for the bill, as well as Republicans Gov. Gary Herbert and Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, the state’s governor-elect.
Woody Lee, executive director of Utah Diné Bikéyah, also praised the legislation’s passage, calling it “one of the brighter moments in this unprecedented year of uncertainties.”
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