Cool Cities

WHAT IS SERA?

We are a large group of committed Eldorado area residents forming an ecological partnership with our environment by conserving natural resources and inspiring action to ensure a sustainable and resilient future for our community.

Construction Industries Commission spent it rolling back energy savings for New Mexicans

The cost of owning a new home just increased for New Mexicans

April 25 - Albuquerque, NM – The New Mexico Construction Industries Commission celebrated Earth Day on Friday by voting to start the process of rolling back the NM Energy Conservation Code - in an apparent bid to appease what some called a "push from industries" in New Mexico. At its April 22nd meeting, the state commission voted unanimously and with little comment to begin the process of public hearings required to amend the code back to the bare minimum required by federal standards.
Click here to listen to the recording of Tammy Fiebelkorn of SWEEP and Kim Shanahan, ED of the Santa Fe Home Builders Association, discussing this issue on the May 14 edition of Green Talk Radio with Faren Dancer on KTRC 1260AM.

Update: This bill was killed in the Senate Conservation Committee on March 1.

Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) is leading efforts to increase energy usage transparency in commercial buildings to unlock opportunities to create jobs and reduce energy costs for businesses. This bill gives tenants and investors the right to know the energy rating for a commercial building before completing a lease or sale transaction, ensuring they can compare the energy efficiency of buildings.

The Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club and the Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy are also major supporters of this bill in the 2011 NM Legislature. Senator Carlos Cisneros is the sponsor for the bill.

The Board of County Commissioners voted 5-0 in favor of adopting the plan and we are certain that it would have been a different outcome if our members had not provided comments. Your time spent on this issue made a difference!

The City of Santa Fe will start up its new 1 MW solar electricity facility on January 1, 2011.

The City of Santa Fe will realize immediate cost savings with no upfront investment.

The Sierra Club's Cool Cities program worked closely with Nick Schiavo and city leaders in 2008 to initiate this project.

Nick Schiavo, the City's project leader and energy czar, led a tour of the facility for the Sierra Club on Friday, November 19.

In 1Q 2009, David Van Winkle and Dexter Coolidge of the Northern New Mexico Group of the Sierra Club met with Santa Fe Mayor David Coss, City of Santa Fe City Councilors and Santa Fe County Commissioners to convince them to use renewable energy for the Buckman water project. It became a reality last week.

On April 24, Energy Works received the 2010 Sustainable Santa Fe Award for a Renewable Energy Project. Energy Works is collaboration between Youth Works and the Community Housing Trust, which the Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club funded in 2009 in conjunction with the City of Santa Fe and the Santa Fe Community Housing Trust. This project funded eight youths to complete over 225 energy efficiency installations/audits for working class families.

The Sierra Club’s Santa Fe Cool Biz Program is recognizing eight local businesses for green business practices.