Bill seeks solar panels on all state buildings

SANTA FE – State Sen. Jeff Steinborn, D-Las Cruces, said he wants to see solar panels on every state-owned building in New Mexico, and has introduced legislation toward that goal.
“The state of New Mexico owns over 750 buildings and currently only has solar power on two of them,” Steinborn said in a prepared release.
Senate Bill 227 would require the state General Services Department to issue a request for proposal to implement energy-efficiency and renewable energy investments for state facilities that “do not require up-front investment.”
That last part is important, as the bill does not include any appropriation and the state has been struggling to resolve persistent budget problems. The legislation “implicitly authorizes the use of public-private partnership arrangements,” according to a legislative analysis.
It would enable the state to enter into power purchase agreements by which a private solar provider invests all of the upfront costs involved in setting up a solar system, and collects a portion of the utility bill for a set period of time.
GSD officials notes there are more than 700 buildings under their jurisdiction, and many more owned by other state agencies.
“Analyzing all buildings that are state-owned is a monumental task and would take several years to complete and even longer to implement the energy projects,” GSD officials said in the analysis.
Steinborn said that the bill would save the state money and stimulate the economy.
“By harnessing our abundant solar resources on state buildings, we would not only save taxpayers potentially millions of dollars of utility costs over time, but also create needed good jobs in New Mexico in the process,” he said.
The bill cleared the Senate Conservation Committee unanimously Monday. It is scheduled next for the Public Affairs Committee.
source:http://www.lcsun-news.com