The New Mexico Senate on Feb. 3 voted 25 to 16 to approve the Clean Fuel Standard Act. The bill, SB 14, aims to reduce the total carbon intensity (CI) of all transportation fuels by 20 percent in 2030 and 30 percent by 2040 when compared to a 2018 baseline.

The proposed CFS aims to achieve the required CI reductions by changing the way producers manufacture fuel, including through increased use of biobased fuels and through expanded access to charging stations for electric vehicles.

The New Mexico Clean Fuels Coalition is backing the bill. The coalition includes members representing the biodiesel, renewable diesel, ethanol, renewable dimethyl ether (rDME), renewable propane, renewable natural gas (RNG), direct air capture, green hydrogen and electricity industries.

“We’re pleased to see such strong support for this important environmental bill,” said Virginia Smith, of Adelante Consulting Inc., which is a founding member of the New Mexico Clean Fuels Coalition. “The Clean Fuel Standard Act puts our state on the right path to cut carbon emissions from the transportation sector and attract new businesses to New Mexico.”

The New Mexico Senate passed a similar bill during the 2021 legislative session. That bill, SB 11, required a 28 percent decrease in the CI of transportation fuel by 2040. The 2021 version of the bill was approved by the New Mexico Senate on March 11, 2021, by a vote of 25 to 14. The state’s House of Representatives, however, failed to take action on SB 11.  

Additional information on SB 14 is available on the New Mexico Legislature website.