OPINION: Green energy's empty promises vs. New Mexico's real energy heroes

At 7 on the morning of Sept. 3, New Mexicans had the benefit of electricity — lights on, coffee brewing, businesses opening — just like any other day. Yet at that very moment, wind and solar energy was contributing less than 5% of the power keeping lives running smoothly in most of the state. After years of promises, subsidies and political speeches, that’s all wind and solar could deliver. This snapshot isn’t an anomaly — it’s the reality of “green” energy. Six years have passed since Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the so-called Energy Transition Act, legislation designed to force our homes and businesses onto wind and solar power. What has it achieved?

It has put New Mexicans out of work. The San Juan Generating Station — which for decades provided both jobs and affordable power — is shuttered. Politicians and environmental activists cheered its closure as a victory, while families who depended on those paychecks and communities that relied on that electricity were left behind. For the record, the unemployment rate in San Juan County where the station was located is now 6%, well above the national average.

New Mexico was promised a new energy future. We were told it would create jobs, lower prices and secure energy independence for generations. Yet, wind and solar can’t deliver on demand, no matter how many billions of dollars Washington or Santa Fe throw at it. We just passed the two-year anniversary of Lujan Grisham’s announcement of a massive solar factory that was going to employ up to 1,800 people and bring $4.2 billion in investment. It was supposed to break ground at the beginning of 2024. How’s it going?

Meanwhile, the resources that have powered our state for generations — oil, natural gas and coal — are vilified. New Mexico’s entire congressional delegation and the governor never miss a chance to demonize fossil fuels. They push regulations designed to strangle the very industry that pays for our schools, paves our roads and sustains our economy. Yet while the eco-left pours taxpayer billions into unproven schemes, oil and gas continue to deliver — without the need for a government slush fund.

Even Washington’s own data proves it. According to a new report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, just two New Mexico counties — Lea and Eddy — accounted for nearly 1 million barrels per day of U.S. oil production growth between 2020 and 2024. That represents 52% of the entire nation’s increase during that period. In other words, New Mexico’s energy workers are powering America’s historic energy success, even as their elected leaders in Santa Fe turn their backs on them.

This is the story the media refuse to tell. Oil and gas don’t need taxpayer bailouts or endless praise from editorial boards. They succeed because hardworking men and women in the Permian Basin show up every day and do their jobs. They’ve turned New Mexico into an energy powerhouse, fueling the economy, protecting America’s national security and keeping the lights on when “green” energy disappears.

On a recent September morning in New Mexico, the contrast couldn’t have been clearer. Oil and natural gas workers were showing up for work — as they have for generations — powering our homes, schools and businesses. Meanwhile, “green” energy, despite billions in subsidies and years of glowing headlines, still refuses to clock in.