Heinrich, Luján criticized for backing oil, gas subsidy

Sep. 18—Environmentalists and two state lawmakers on Friday sharply criticized Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján for not opposing $121 billion in tax incentives for the nation's fossil fuel industry, saying the duo are silently boosting greenhouse gas polluters amid a growing climate crisis.

The panel came together Friday for the news conference a month after 300,000 New Mexicans sent a letter to Heinrich and Luján asking that they oppose the fossil fuel incentives within a budget reconciliation bill.

"And yet that letter has gone unanswered," said Jessica Gable, spokeswoman for Food & Water Watch, a Washington, D.C., environmental group that hosted the webinar. "Today we call on the senators to break their silence now."

The Senate Ways and Means Committee this week passed the bill to a floor vote with the tax incentives fully intact, Gable said. New Mexico's two senators must commit to eliminating the fossil fuel subsidies from this bill, she said.

State Sen. Antoinette Sedillo Lopez, D-Albuquerque, agreed. Historically, the fossil fuel industry was bolstered because it was seen as key to energy policy and vital to the nation.

"But what we know now is that oil and gas drilling and combustion are contributing greatly to climate change," Sedillo Lopez said. "It is not in the best interest of New Mexico, our country and the planet to continue these subsidies."

New Mexico's portion of the incentives has yet to be determined.

Heinrich and Luján didn't directly address the panel's criticisms and pleas to oppose the incentives. Nor did they indicate they would consider taking such an action. A spokesman Heinrich spokesman pointed to the senior senator's co-sponsorship of the Clean Energy for America Act, which eliminates fossil fuel subsidies.

Instead, their offices released a joint statement touting the senators' efforts to combat climate change.

"Senators Heinrich and Luján are a long-time champions of New Mexico's clean energy economy, and are actively working to tackle the climate crisis head on," the statement said. "They believe the Build Back Better agenda represents the greatest opportunity in our lifetimes to save the future of our planet. Senators Heinrich and Luján are both fighting for big, bold climate solutions that meet the moment."

Environmentalists argued that the $121 billion could be better spent elsewhere, including on infrastructure to aid in the transition to renewable energy rather than reinforcing the current system.

"This should not be a hard call," said Raena Garcia, fossil fuels and lands campaigner for Friends of the Earth. "We need ambitious climate policy if we are going to achieve a sustainable future. And when we are looking for revenue to invest in that future, these big oil handouts should be the first thing on the chopping block."

Margaret Wadsworth, senior state organizer for Food and Water Watch, said tax incentives reward the industry for investing in and expanding operations.

"Offering incentives like that ... perpetuates the problem" Wadsworth said. "It means that we want more of that industry in our state and in our country domestically. And we know that we don't."

The recent United Nations report makes clear that climate change demands immediate action from the world's leaders, Wadsworth said.

In New Mexico, those leaders are Heinrich and Luján, she said.

A spokesman for Heinrich noted that the senator has backed a transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy for years. One of his bills would help smooth the changeover by paying New Mexico for its revenue losses as it shifts to alternative sources such as solar and wind.

Still, panelists said he and Luján must be more aggressive in weaning the state off oil and gas.

State Rep. Andrea Romero, D-Santa Fe, said the state has been reliant on that industry for so long and is so used to subsidizing it that leaders have lacked the political will at times to diversify the economy.

It's important for the state's national leaders to boldly plot a new direction, Romero said.

"Having them speak up in that regard will help new Mexico get into the next era of what we really want to build here and the type of business that we really want to welcome," she said. "And the type of economy we want to grow."