Reuters reported last week that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, first-term Democrat from New Mexico, will seek a waiver for her state from the Biden administration’s pause on new oil and gas leasing on federal lands. Grisham told the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce March 10 that she was “clearly concerned” about the policy. Reuters said Grisham thinks “the state should receive an exemption because of its efforts to tackle climate change.”
Grisham said the Biden administration should “create a program that gives credit to states that are well beyond where the federal government and other states are in terms of climate change initiatives, cleaning up the environment, curbing carbon emissions and having an all-of-the-above energy effort.” Members of her staff reportedly have met with officials from U.S. Department of Interior.
Associated Press reported this week Grisham sent a letter to Biden warning of financial losses by New Mexico with even a modest reduction of oil and gas production in the state, including endangering her goal of universal access to early childhood education in a state plagued by low educational outcomes and high poverty rates. State financial officials said New Mexico could lose $709 million from now to 2025 with a 10 percent reduction in oil and gas production.
And Reuters reported Monday that U.S. Bureau of Land Management staff will resume processing oil and gas drilling permits this week “on valid, existing leases” after two months when processing was limited to senior officials in Washington.