HM 60

                                1  HOUSE MEMORIAL 60
                                2      57TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 2026
                                3  INTRODUCED BY
                                4  Dayan Hochman-Vigil
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                                10  A MEMORIAL
                                11   REQUESTING THE ENERGY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT DIVISION OF
                                12   THE ENERGY, MINERALS AND NATURAL RESOURCES DEPARTMENT TO DIRECT
                                13   THE CREATION OF A STUDY GROUP TO STUDY AND DEVELOP A
                                14   COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO MAKE BUILDINGS A FLEXIBLE GRID ASSET
                                15   VIA ELECTRIFICATION IN NEW MEXICO THAT ENABLES THE USE OF
                                16   BUILDINGS AS A GRID ASSET AND LOWERS ENERGY BILLS.
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                                18        WHEREAS, New Mexico faces growing electricity demand and
                                19   the need to modernize the electric grid while keeping energy
                                20   costs affordable for residents and businesses; and
                                21        WHEREAS, building technologies, including energy controls
                                22   and analytic and electric appliances, can lower utility bills,
                                23   reduce peak demand on the electric grid and support economic
                                24   development while improving energy efficiency and comfort; and
                                25        WHEREAS, electric appliances add megawatts to the grid
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                                1    that can be strategically leveraged to reduce peak demand and
                                2    put downward pressure on rates when enrolled in demand
                                3    flexibility programs, rates and tariffs to the benefit of
                                4    ratepayers and the grid; and
                                5  WHEREAS, adopting electric building technologies,
                                6    especially in concert with demand flexibility programs, can
                                7    increase customer cost certainty and control and reduce New
                                8    Mexico pollution emissions through beneficial electrification;
                                9    and
                                10  WHEREAS, energy efficiency and building shell improvements
                                11   can amplify the benefits that building electrification enrolled
                                12   in flexibility programs provide to the customer, ratepayers and
                                13   the grid; and
                                14  WHEREAS, this is an opportunity to prioritize
                                15   affordability, consumer protection, energy efficiency and grid
                                16   reliability by developing flexibility programs that enable
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                                17   buildings and electric appliances to use energy more flexibly,
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                                18   efficiently and cost-effectively; and
                                19  WHEREAS, these priorities can be more easily attained by
                                20   expanding the number of flexibility-enabled buildings,
                                21   appliances and devices in New Mexico; and
                                22  WHEREAS, a study group would be a collaborative effort to
                                23   align, harmonize or consolidate activities across utility
                                24   planning, building trades, consumer programs, workforce
                                25   development, financing mechanisms and state clean-energy goals
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                                1    for maximum benefit, administrative efficiency and ease of
                                2    consumer access; and
                                3  WHEREAS, it is important to ensure that the priorities and
                                4    efforts of utilities, grid operators, the public regulation
                                5    commission, consumers, architects and engineers, builders,
                                6    contractors, distributed energy resource providers, aggregators
                                7    and other stakeholders are aligned;
                                8  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF
                                9    REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the energy
                                10   conservation and management division of the energy, minerals
                                11   and natural resources department be requested to convene a
                                12   study group that includes stakeholders to develop and make
                                13   recommendations to the appropriate interim legislative
                                14   committee for a comprehensive statewide approach to
                                15   accelerating and maximizing the deployment of building
                                16   technologies, including electric appliances, that are enrolled
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                                17   in demand flexibility programs, rates and tariffs, to the
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                                18   benefit of the electric grid and energy affordability for
                                19   ratepayers, including recommendations for necessary funding and
                                20   proposed legislation; and
                                21        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the energy conservation and
                                22   management division of the energy, minerals and natural
                                23   resources department coordinate the activities of the study
                                24   group, including meeting at regular intervals; and
                                25        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the goals of the study group
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                                1    in developing recommendations include identifying best
                                2    practices for:
                                3  A.   utility and non-utility building flexibility,
                                4    efficiency and electrification programs and planning;
                                5  B.   establishing consumer protections and program
                                6    participation standards;
                                7  C.   ensuring avenues for third-party solution
                                8    providers to assist consumers;
                                9  D.   developing financing mechanisms to accelerate
                                10   deployment of building technologies and complementary building
                                11   efficiency upgrades with little or no up-front cost to
                                12   consumers;
                                13  E.   ensuring equitable access to programs for
                                14   low-income and environmental justice communities;
                                15  F.   integrating building flexibility programs with
                                16   utility integrated resource planning and distribution system
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                                17   planning;
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                                18  G.   identifying workforce development and contractor
                                19   training needs;
                                20  H.   evaluating rate design options that support
                                21   flexible energy use;
                                22  I.   establishing measurement and verification
                                23   standards;
                                24  J.   proposing public policies to support affordable,
                                25   efficient and grid-responsive buildings; and
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                                1  K.   identifying complementary energy affordability
                                2    strategies and programs; and
                                3  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study group be composed of
                                4    a minimum of eleven members, one each appointed from the
                                5    following agencies and stakeholder entities:
                                6  A.   the energy conservation and management division
                                7    of the energy, minerals and natural resources department;
                                8  B.   the staff of the public regulation commission;
                                9  C.   the New Mexico mortgage finance authority;
                                10  D.   investor-owned New Mexico electric utility
                                11   companies;
                                12  E.   New Mexico rural electric cooperatives,
                                13   distributed energy resource providers and aggregators;
                                14  F.   building contractors and trades representatives;
                                15  G.   heat pump manufacturer representatives;
                                16  H.   consumer advocacy organizations;
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                                17  I.   low-income and environmental justice community
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                                18   representatives;
                                19  J.   energy efficiency and building science experts;
                                20   and
                                21  K.   a representative from New Mexico's clean energy
                                22   industry; and
                                23  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the energy conservation and
                                24   management division of the energy, minerals and natural
                                25   resources department write a final report and present its
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                                1    findings and recommendations to the appropriate interim
                                2    legislative committee before November 1, 2026; and
                                3  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
                                4    transmitted to the co-chairs of the New Mexico legislative
                                5    council, the governor, the secretary of energy, minerals and
                                6    natural resources, the chief of staff of the public regulation
                                7    commission, the president of the New Mexico rural electric
                                8    cooperative association, the presidents and chief executive
                                9    officers of investor-owned electric utility companies in New
                                10   Mexico, the executive director of the New Mexico mortgage
                                11   finance authority and the chief executive officer of New Mexico
                                12   counties.
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