In her ongoing effort to placate radical environmentalists while not directly attacking New Mexico’s oil and gas industry, Gov. Lujan Grisham announced yesterday that she would be putting the “Clean Fuel Standard” legislation on the “call” for the 30-day session that kicks off in January of 2022.
RGF’s Paul Gessing was quoted in the Santa Fe New Mexican as saying that, of course this mandate will increase costs to consumers because “there’s no such thing as a free lunch.” The Administration would like New Mexicans to think that somehow passing a new mandate to use less carbon-intensive fuel will be an economic boon to the State.
In reality, according to the State of Oregon’s own analysis, the “clean fuel standard” in that state cost approximately 4 cents per gallon. Of course, that analysis is from the State AND the program is not fully-implemented (which could increase costs). And, one of the prime “replacements” for gasoline is likely to be ethanol, the environmental and technological track record of which is spotty at best.
I have noted over the years of being required to use ethanol-based fuels in my vehicles means:
– Fuel costs are higher (Ethanol is very expensive to produce)
– Mileage is lower, by about 10% (Meaning less-efficient fuel
consumption, and greater exhaust emissions)
Interestingly, 70% of owners of “efficient” vehicles (Electric, hybrids) do not replace them with similar vehicles