New Mexico
‘Renewable’ geothermal energy boosted by bill passed by New Mexico House
Oak Ridge scientists create energy-saving geothermal battery
Scientists have developed geothermal “batteries” that actually tap and store the heat energy of the Earth to provide heating, cooling and hot water.
Angela M. Gosnell, Knoxville News Sentinel
Geothermal energy would be incentivized using state money by a New Mexico House bill that passed the full chamber this week, and moved on to the Senate for further consideration in the final week of the 2024 Legislative Session.
House Bill 91 would send $25 million from the State’s General Fund to two newly-created funds to finance geothermal projects.
Geothermal energy uses heat pulled from underground to the surface, generating electricity and viewed as a renewable energy and alternative to fossil fuels.
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The first fund created by the bill would be a non-reverting Geothermal Projects Development Fund that would be administered by the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, appropriated by the Legislature.
It would be able to offer up to $250,000 grants for studies of proposed geothermal projects, and grants for financing such projects.
Recipients must be political subdivisions of the state, like municipalities or counties, along with state universities, indigenous tribes or pueblos.
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The other fund created by the will would be the Geothermal Projects Revolving Loan Fund, also administered by EMNRD to provide loans to the same groups as the grant fund for financing the projects.
Another $600,000 would be appropriated for added staff and operating expenses at EMNRD to aid in carrying out the bill’s provisions. Any funds left from that provision would revert back to the General Fund in Fiscal Year 2025.
The bill passed the House on a bipartisan 60-5 vote and was sent to the Senate Finance Committee for further discussion and action. The bill must pass both chambers before they can be signed into law by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.
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Before the full House vote, HB 91 passed unanimously from the House Energy and Natural Resources and House Administration and Finance committees.
The session ends Feb. 16, about 10 days after HB 91 passed on the House Floor.
In its analysis of the bill EMNRD, the agency argued the “non-recurring” appropriation to pay for staff for carrying out the bill was inadequate to create a long-term regulatory environment for the growing geothermal industry in New Mexico.
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The agency said it would aim to hire three full-time employees with a total annual salary of $325,000, if the $600,000 was added to its recurring base budget.
Language in the bill also called on EMNRD’s Energy Conservation and Management Division (ECMD) to apply for federal grants for geothermal projects, but the department’s analysis contended those grants usually go to universities, not state agencies.
“While the division may be able to assist those institutions and organizations with grant proposals, the chance that the division would be eligible for federal funding under existing programs could be limited,” read the report.
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EMRND also voiced concerns about the $250,000 grant cap, offering a $10 million cap would be more helpful to projects exploring for geothermal resources underground, developments EMNRD argued could exceed “seven figures.”
“The grant cap amount is a very low incentive for high temperature geothermal projects where one exploration or temperature gradient well can exceed seven figures,” read the report. “Only actual exploration will provide the data needed to measure future development.”
What is geothermal energy? Where does it come from in New Mexico?
A geothermal project, as defined in HB 91 is one that used the heat of the earth more than 100 degrees farenheit to generate electricity for industrial, commercial or residential purposes.
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Sponsor Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero (D-13) of Albuquerque said geothermal energy is already produced in New Mexico, and the bill would help the state bolster what she called “clean energy” from this source.
“Geothermal is now a reliable renewable energy option for many homes and businesses in New Mexico,” Roybal Caballero said. “This bill would allow us to take advantage of our unique geology to help make geothermal energy more available statewide, while supporting our clean energy and climate goals.”
Last year’s version of the legislation House Bill 365 passed both the House and Senate during the 2023 Legislative Session, but was pocket vetoed after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham took no action to sign it into law ahead of the deadline.
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During the Jan. 23 meeting of the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which ultimately granted the bill a “do pass” recommendation, Roybal Caballero who also sponsored last year’s geothermal bill said it enjoyed support from both sides of the aisle.
She said she expected such support this year.
“We’re attempting to open opportunity and access as much as we can in the renewable energy world,” Roybal Caballero said.
Thomas Solomon, a retired electrical engineer and member of the New Mexico Geothermal Working Group, served as an expert during the meeting, explaining New Mexico’s strong geothermal resources were around the Rio Grande Rift.
He said the rift gradually pulled the earth apart over time, bringing more the subsurface to the surface.
“Meaning the drilling cost to access those geothermal resources is lower here in New Mexico because you don’t have to drill so deep,” Soloman said. “That’s what makes geothermal resource potential in this state so attractive.”
Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on the social media platform X.
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico — Federal authorities are investigating a fire early Sunday that damaged the entryway to the headquarters of the Republican Party of New Mexico in Albuquerque.
Agents working with local authorities recovered unspecified “incendiary materials” at the scene, said Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives spokesperson Cody Monday. He declined to say what the materials were or to share further details.
The fire follows numerous acts of vandalism in recent weeks directed against Tesla, the electric-car company whose owner, Elon Musk, has led Republican President Donald Trump’s effort to slash the federal workforce. Several of those cases involved Molotov cocktails that were used to start fires at dealerships. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has called it a “wave of domestic terrorism.”
Attacks on property carrying the logo of Elon Musk’s electric-car company are cropping up across the U.S. and overseas. While no injuries have been reported, Tesla showrooms, vehicle lots, charging stations and privately owned cars have been targeted.
Firefighters responded to the fire just before 6 a.m. and brought it under control within about five minutes, according to Lt. Jason Fejer with Albuquerque Fire Rescue.
The building was unoccupied and no one was injured. But the blaze badly burned the entrance and caused extensive smoke damage throughout the office, where three people work full time, according to Fejer and Republican party representatives.
A photo provided by GOP representatives showed the charred entrance of the building with wood and pieces of burned insulation scattered on the ground. A broken and burned door was set to one side.
The GOP office’s security system detected the fire, said New Mexico Republican Party Chair Amy Barela. She credited firefighters with quickly extinguishing the flames and preventing the fire from spreading.
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller called arson a cowardly act.
“Politically motivated crimes of any kind are unacceptable, and I am grateful to our fire department for their swift response,” the mayor, a Democrat, said in a statement Sunday afternoon. “This incident is being investigated at the federal level, and I urge anyone with information to report it immediately.”
Barela said GOP representatives also found spray paint on the side of the building about 50 feet from the entrance, saying “ICE=KKK.” Monday, the ATF spokesperson, declined to comment on the graffiti.
Agents from the FBI also were on the scene investigating, according to Fejer. FBI representatives could not be reached immediately for comment.
The Republican Party of New Mexico’s headquarters in Albuquerque was intentionally set on fire in an act of arson and vandalized with a spray-painted phrase “ICE=KKK.”
Why It Matters
During his 2024 campaign, President Donald Trump promised mass deportations of undocumented and criminal migrants, a policy that has been shown to be popular among voters across the political spectrum, before and after the election.
However, the administration has faced backlash for invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, allowing the administration to deport noncitizens without the opportunity for a hearing before an immigration or federal court judge, and for revoking visas for students.
Trump empowered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to conduct arrests in or near sensitive locations such as schools and universities to enforce these policies, such as the arrest of a graduate student from the University of Minnesota, the arrest of Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk, and the arrest of Palestinian activist and legal U.S. resident Mahmoud Khalil.
Republican Party of New Mexico
What To Know
Albuquerque Fire Rescue responded to an alarm at the New Mexico office of the Republican Party and quickly got control of the fire, according to a post on Facebook.
The Albuquerque Fire Rescue wrote in its post that it dispatched first responders at around 5:56 a.m. local time, with a fire engine on the scene immediately and taking control of the fire within five minutes. Authorities determined the structure had suffered damage to the entryway and smoke damage throughout the building, but they found no injuries to civilians or firefighters.
“AFR Fire Investigators are currently on scene along with teams from the FBI and ATF,” the post read. “This is an active and ongoing investigation. No additional information available at this time.”
But inside the building, members of the party upon returning found that someone had vandalized a wall with spray paint, writing, “ICE=KKK.”
Republican New Mexico Chairwoman Amy Barela told Newsweek that the party is working “closely with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), local law enforcement, and federal investigators” to find who is responsible and hold them “accountable.”
What People Are Saying
Republican New Mexico Chairwoman Amy Barela told Newsweek in a statement on Sunday: “We are deeply relieved that no one was harmed in what could have been a tragic and deadly attack. Those who resort to violence to undermine our state and nation must be held accountable, and our state leaders must reinforce through decisive action that these cowardly attacks will not be tolerated.”
“We are working closely with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), local law enforcement, and federal investigators. We are committed to providing every piece of evidence necessary to bring those responsible to justice and ensure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We will not allow New Mexico’s broken criminal justice system to dilute the seriousness of this attack.”
She continued: “The Republican Party of New Mexico will not be silenced. We will emerge from this stronger, more united, and more determined to fight for the people of New Mexico and the future of our country,” she added. “Let us not forget: it was the Democrat Party that once supported the formation of the KKK, pushed Jim Crow laws, and defended slavery. Today, we see the same dangerous tendencies play out in new forms—attempts to suppress free speech, silence dissent, and use fear to control the political narrative. Our fight is not just for our party—it’s for every New Mexican who wants a safer, freer, and more accountable state. We will never back down.”
What Happens Next?
The Republican Party of New Mexico will work with AFR Fire Investigators and the ATF to determine the responsible parties.
Ishmael Kipkurui of New Mexico broke the NCAA record in the men’s 10,000m Saturday night at Sound Running’s The TEN.
The previous mark was set at the same meet last year by Northern Arizona’s Nico Young who ran 26:52.72.
Kipkurui’s New Mexico teammate Habtom Samuel also ran faster than Young’s mark, finishing second in 26.51.06.
Adrian Wildschutt was the top professional finisher, running 26:51.27 to claim third place overall. The mark was just off his personal best of 26:50.54 set at last year’s Paris Olympics.
Running the 10,000 meters on the track for the first time, Ethiopia’s Telahun Haile Bekele took fourth in 26:52.79. American Graham Blanks finished fifth in 26:57.30 in his first professional 10K.
All five athletes achieved the 2025 World Athletics entry standard of 27:00 for the event. The group of five ran as a lead pack for the bulk of the race until Blanks lost contact with one lap to go. Kipkurui, Samuel, and Wildschutt ran three-wide down the final home stretch, but Kipkurrui surged ahead with a blistering final sprint to break the tape. Kipkurui’s ran his final lap in 55.80 seconds.
“I’m so happy for winning this race today and qualifying for Tokyo,” Kipkurui said.
The Kenyan signed with New Mexico in December of last year. He finished second to Samuel in the 3,000m and 5,000m at the 2025 Mountain West Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships and later placed 14th and seventh in the events, respectively, at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.
“It’s good to have him (Kipkurui) on the team,” Samuel said. “We work together and push each other.”
The 20-year-old freshman Kipkurui was the 2023 U20 XC World Champion, leading Kenya to a World team title by one point over Ethiopia. Later that year, he placed 10th in the 5000 meters at the World Championships in Budapest.
Tokyo Men’s 10,000 Meter Results
1. Ishmael KIPKURUI – 26:50.21
2. Habtom SAMUEL – 26:51.06
3. Adrian WILDSCHUTT – 26:51.27
4. Telahun HAILE BEKELE – 26:52.79
5. Graham BLANKS – 26:57.30
6. Gulveer SINGH – 27:00.22
7. Ahmed MUHUMED – 27:03.19
8. Casey CLINGER – 27:11.00
9. Denis KIPNGETICH – 27:20.10
10. Sean McGORTY – 27:20.19
11. Drew HUNTER – 27:24.49
12. Efrem GIDEY – 27:26.95
13. Amon KEMBOI – 27:31.41
14. Kieran TUNTIVATE – 27:36.56
15. Jonas RAESS – 27:36.96
16. Brian BARRAZA – 27:37.54
17. Valentin SOCA REYES – 27:37.65
18. Aaron BIENENFELD – 27:39.82
19. Anthony ROTICH – 27:53.64
20. Rory LEONARD – 28:09.20
21. Simon BEDARD – 28:20.99
22. Noah SCHUTTE – 28:21.12
DNF. Joey BERRIATUA – 1
DNF. Kirubel ERASSA – 1
DNF. Dillon MAGGARD – 1
DNF. Scott BEATTIE – 1
DNF. Josh THOMPSON – 1
DNS. Romain LEGENDRE – 1
DNS. Mohamed ISMAIL – 1
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