New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

New Mexico Senate Bill SM16 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	underscored material = new
2	2	[bracketed material] = delete
3	3	1
4	4	2
5	5	3
6	6	4
7	7	5
8	8	6
9	9	7
10	10	8
11	11	9
12	12	10
13	13	11
14	14	12
15	15	13
16	16	14
17	17	15
18	18	16
19	19	17
20	20	18
21	21	19
22	22	20
23	23	21
24	24	22
25	25	23
26	26	24
27	27	25
28	28	SENATE MEMORIAL 16
29	29	57
30	30	TH LEGISLATURE
31	31	- STATE OF NEW MEXICO -
32	32	FIRST SESSION
33	33	, 2025
34	34	INTRODUCED BY
35	35	Pat Woods and Pat Boone
36	36	A MEMORIAL
37	37	EXPRESSING OPPOSITION TO THE USE OF EMINENT DOMAIN TO ESTABLISH
38	38	A NATIONAL INTEREST ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION CORRIDOR IN EASTERN
39	39	NEW MEXICO.
40	40	WHEREAS, the United States department of energy has
41	41	designated a substantial portion of land stretching across
42	42	eastern New Mexico as a potential location for the
43	43	"southwestern grid connector national interest transmission
44	44	corridor"; and
45	45	WHEREAS, the national interest electric transmission
46	46	corridor proposed for New Mexico is intended to facilitate the
47	47	development of an electric transmission system aimed at meeting
48	48	national energy demands; and
49	49	WHEREAS, spanning between three to fifteen miles in width,
50	50	this corridor seeks to pave the way for transmission developers
51	51	.230574.3 underscored material = new
52	52	[bracketed material] = delete
53	53	1
54	54	2
55	55	3
56	56	4
57	57	5
58	58	6
59	59	7
60	60	8
61	61	9
62	62	10
63	63	11
64	64	12
65	65	13
66	66	14
67	67	15
68	68	16
69	69	17
70	70	18
71	71	19
72	72	20
73	73	21
74	74	22
75	75	23
76	76	24
77	77	25
78	78	to build vital infrastructure for energy delivery and storage;
79	79	and
80	80	WHEREAS, heavy industrial transmission infrastructure and
81	81	dangerous battery storage for renewable energy could be
82	82	developed within this corridor and nearby areas; and
83	83	WHEREAS, while the designation of this corridor is
84	84	intended to enhance the nation's energy grid and support
85	85	renewable energy growth, many are raising concerns about
86	86	potential risks to local communities and the environment; and
87	87	WHEREAS, the designation of this corridor in eastern New
88	88	Mexico has the potential to adversely affect farming, ranching
89	89	and small businesses throughout the region, with particular
90	90	concern over the use of eminent domain, which would grant the
91	91	government or private entities the authority to seize land from
92	92	its owners without their consent; and
93	93	WHEREAS, New Mexico's farming and ranching communities are
94	94	central to the state's economy and cultural identity, providing
95	95	agricultural products, livestock and open spaces that sustain
96	96	local businesses, jobs and traditions; and
97	97	WHEREAS, the use of eminent domain to acquire land for the
98	98	construction of transmission lines would force farmers and
99	99	ranchers to give up valuable land that has been passed down
100	100	through generations, potentially disrupting long-established
101	101	operations, displacing family-run businesses and diminishing
102	102	economic security for thousands of families in rural areas; and
103	103	.230574.3
104	104	- 2 - underscored material = new
105	105	[bracketed material] = delete
106	106	1
107	107	2
108	108	3
109	109	4
110	110	5
111	111	6
112	112	7
113	113	8
114	114	9
115	115	10
116	116	11
117	117	12
118	118	13
119	119	14
120	120	15
121	121	16
122	122	17
123	123	18
124	124	19
125	125	20
126	126	21
127	127	22
128	128	23
129	129	24
130	130	25
131	131	WHEREAS, the designation of a national interest electric
132	132	transmission corridor in eastern New Mexico would impose
133	133	significant burdens on small businesses, particularly those in
134	134	rural areas that rely on the local land for their livelihoods.
135	135	The loss of land or access to essential resources could
136	136	endanger the viability of these businesses, many of which do
137	137	not have the financial resources or operational capacity to
138	138	withstand the disruption that may be caused by the designation
139	139	of a national interest electric transmission corridor in
140	140	eastern New Mexico; and
141	141	WHEREAS, farming and ranching operations rely heavily on
142	142	the land for grazing, crop production, water access and
143	143	infrastructure. The establishment of electric transmission
144	144	lines, towers and associated infrastructure on private
145	145	agricultural land could pose a serious threat to soil health,
146	146	water resources and the ability to conduct business in a way
147	147	that aligns with sustainable practices, leading to long-term
148	148	financial damage and ecological harm; and
149	149	WHEREAS, farming and ranching families are often forced
150	150	into difficult decisions when faced with eminent domain,
151	151	including selling off parts of their land or accepting
152	152	compensation that does not accurately reflect the loss of their
153	153	heritage, business or livelihood; and
154	154	WHEREAS, small businesses in rural areas depend on the
155	155	stability of their local economy, which is tied to the ability
156	156	.230574.3
157	157	- 3 - underscored material = new
158	158	[bracketed material] = delete
159	159	1
160	160	2
161	161	3
162	162	4
163	163	5
164	164	6
165	165	7
166	166	8
167	167	9
168	168	10
169	169	11
170	170	12
171	171	13
172	172	14
173	173	15
174	174	16
175	175	17
176	176	18
177	177	19
178	178	20
179	179	21
180	180	22
181	181	23
182	182	24
183	183	25
184	184	of farmers and ranchers to operate effectively. The
185	185	designation of a national interest electric transmission
186	186	corridor in eastern New Mexico could increase operating costs,
187	187	lead to land fragmentation and reduce land values, potentially
188	188	resulting in the closure or relocation of many small
189	189	businesses; and
190	190	WHEREAS, the property tax revenues in several eastern New
191	191	Mexico counties will be negatively affected by the land being
192	192	acquired by the federal government via eminent domain; and
193	193	WHEREAS, the use of eminent domain for transmission
194	194	projects resulting from the designation of a national interest
195	195	electric transmission corridor in eastern New Mexico could
196	196	potentially benefit large corporations and government agencies
197	197	at the expense of local communities and private landowners,
198	198	with minimal direct benefit to those who are most impacted; and
199	199	WHEREAS, farmers, ranchers and small business owners are
200	200	the backbone of New Mexico's economy and should be supported in
201	201	their efforts to maintain their businesses, protect their land
202	202	and contribute to the continued success and prosperity of the
203	203	state; and
204	204	WHEREAS, there is a need for comprehensive and fair
205	205	alternatives to eminent domain that would balance the need for
206	206	infrastructure development with the protection of local
207	207	economies, landowners' rights and sustainable agricultural
208	208	practices;
209	209	.230574.3
210	210	- 4 - underscored material = new
211	211	[bracketed material] = delete
212	212	1
213	213	2
214	214	3
215	215	4
216	216	5
217	217	6
218	218	7
219	219	8
220	220	9
221	221	10
222	222	11
223	223	12
224	224	13
225	225	14
226	226	15
227	227	16
228	228	17
229	229	18
230	230	19
231	231	20
232	232	21
233	233	22
234	234	23
235	235	24
236	236	25
237	237	NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE
238	238	OF NEW MEXICO that the senate strongly oppose the southwestern
239	239	grid connector national interest transmission corridor and the
240	240	use of eminent domain in eastern New Mexico, as it threatens
241	241	the viability of farming, ranching and small businesses; and
242	242	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the senate call on all
243	243	policymakers, agencies and developers to reconsider and avoid
244	244	the use of eminent domain to establish a national interest
245	245	electrical transmission corridor in eastern New Mexico and to
246	246	instead seek alternative solutions that prioritize local
247	247	economies, respect private property rights and ensure the
248	248	continued vitality of New Mexico's agricultural and small
249	249	business sectors; and
250	250	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the senate urge lawmakers and
251	251	decision makers to work with impacted communities to develop
252	252	solutions that respect landowners' rights while meeting energy
253	253	infrastructure needs through collaborative, noninvasive means
254	254	that do not jeopardize local livelihoods or cultural heritage;
255	255	and
256	256	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the senate urge the members of
257	257	the New Mexico congressional delegation to oppose and take
258	258	appropriate action to prevent the United States department of
259	259	energy from using eminent domain to seize private property in
260	260	eastern New Mexico for use as an electric transmission
261	261	corridor; and
262	262	.230574.3
263	263	- 5 - underscored material = new
264	264	[bracketed material] = delete
265	265	1
266	266	2
267	267	3
268	268	4
269	269	5
270	270	6
271	271	7
272	272	8
273	273	9
274	274	10
275	275	11
276	276	12
277	277	13
278	278	14
279	279	15
280	280	16
281	281	17
282	282	18
283	283	19
284	284	20
285	285	21
286	286	22
287	287	23
288	288	24
289	289	25
290	290	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
291	291	transmitted to the United States secretary of energy, the New
292	292	Mexico congressional delegation and the governor.
293	293	- 6 -
294	294	.230574.3