As the political landscape in New Mexico heats up, Deb Haaland, a candidate for governor, addressed voters directly about potential economic impacts from recent actions by President Trump and congressional Republicans. In a video shared across her social media platforms, Haaland focused on proposed cuts to clean energy initiatives.
"When I served as Interior Secretary," Haaland stated, "one of the key things I focused on was creating jobs in clean energy and lowering energy costs in New Mexico – harnessing the wind and sun to generate energy and create economic opportunity. These local industries were actually doing that, bringing jobs and generating electricity, and now Trump is trying to stop those efforts. It’ll make electricity more expensive and kill even more New Mexico jobs."
The tax bill proposed by Republicans includes reductions to the Inflation Reduction Act and suggests eliminating investments aimed at job creation, reducing energy costs, and supporting local businesses. Currently, New Mexico has $9.9 billion earmarked for low carbon energy projects. Many ongoing clean energy projects have utilized funds from the Inflation Reduction Act, highlighting their role in fostering innovation and growth within the state.
Haaland's track record includes significant contributions to diversifying New Mexico's economy through new industry investments. As Secretary of the Interior, she advanced permitting for the SunZia Transmission project in New Mexico. This initiative strengthened union employment through an agreement with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and SunZia’s developer. The union projected that this would lead to 500 construction jobs for its members along with 150 permanent positions.
During her tenure as a U.S. House Representative, Haaland marked milestones such as celebrating La Joya Wind Farm's groundbreaking in Torrance County. She also supported energy efficiency measures via the National Defense Authorization Act and led the THRIVE Agenda aimed at creating well-paying union jobs within a clean energy economy while advocating for communities affected by historical pollution issues.
