SANTA FE — The chairman of the Democratic Governors Association joined Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham at a campaign stop Friday, highlighting her ambition to make New Mexico a leader in renewable energy.
Jay Inslee, the governor of Washington and head of the DGA, described Lujan Grisham as a talented leader ready to win back the governor’s office after eight years of Republican control.
Inslee said his own state has a thriving economy, thanks partly to jobs created by the renewable energy industry. New Mexico, he added, is the third-most promising state for wind and solar energy.
“This is a gold mine waiting to be opened,” Inslee said.
Lujan Grisham, in turn, touted her 22-page “clean energy” plan — which calls for tax incentives that encourage use of renewable energy and a mandate that new state buildings have solar installed on them.
She said Tuesday that renewable energy could create high-paying jobs throughout New Mexico, including rural areas.
“This is an incredible opportunity for us,” Lujan Grisham said.
The Republican Governors Association blasted Lujan Grisham for appearing with Inslee and said she “seems to want New Mexicans to pay more for energy. Voters deserve better.”
The Republican group described Inslee as “a major advocate of carbon taxes that would crush working families.”
A carbon tax isn’t part of Lujan Grisham’s energy plan, and neither she nor Inslee brought up the idea Friday. Their appearance came at the solar lab at Santa Fe Community College, where students train for solar-energy jobs.
U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce is the Republican candidate for governor in New Mexico. Incumbent Gov. Susana Martinez, a Republican, cannot run for re-election because of term limits.
