New Mexico

A push for eco-left energy sources and misguided infrastructure investments by state and federal governments have driven up construction costs and placed unnecessary strain on the workforce, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham claimed in an executive order on Monday.

These rising costs, compounded by a push for “climate-ready” construction, forced through by the signing of her Green New Deal (2019’s Energy Transition Act), are being used as justification for reshaping the workforce to cater to this eco-left agenda, which prioritizes building up the so-called renewable energy sector and infrastructure aimed at supposedly mitigating the effects of “climate change,” according to the governor.

In the order, Lujan Grisham directed nearly a dozen state agencies to collaborate on a plan for workforce development and training, including education programs targeting K-12 students to groom them for careers in eco-left-driven industries.

By 2026, Lujan Grisham pledged the state would have 2,000 additional workers trained in these “climate-ready” professions despite no clear definition of what these jobs entail.

Sarita Nair, Cabinet Secretary for the Department of Workforce Solutions, echoed the governor’s rhetoric in an email, stating that the state’s infrastructure must be updated to endure so-called “extreme” weather conditions, including heat, drought, and flooding.

At the end of 2022, the state claimed to have 12,686 jobs in the “clean energy” sector. Companies like Maxeon and the communist Chinese Ebon Solar have made high-profile announcements to expand operations in New Mexico, but questions remain about the long-term viability of these ventures and their impact on local communities.

Interestingly, Nair admitted in the same email that there’s no official definition from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for these “climate-ready jobs.” Speculation suggests they could range from wildland firefighters to electric vehicle charging station installers, leaving significant ambiguity about the true scope of this eco-left workforce.

Ladona Clayton, executive director of the Ogallala Land and Water Conservancy, emphasized the need to focus on water supply and infrastructure, calling it the state’s most pressing issue. “The job is so big now, with the water crisis, we have to get the right people employed,” Clayton said, pushing for aggressive recruitment efforts.

Clayton argued that water should be the top priority for New Mexico’s workforce, declaring, “That’s the workforce that has to sustain the state.”

The governor’s latest executive order comes on the heels of a broader statewide workforce plan that identified construction, the energy transition, and so-called “climate resilience” as key areas of focus for the future.

According to Nair, Workforce Solutions is working with local development boards, tribal communities, and prison reentry programs to broaden access to these eco-left-driven job programs. Some federal grants have emphasized equitable access to these jobs, particularly for workers displaced by the transition from fossil fuels, though this transition has already cost many their livelihoods.

The closure of the San Juan Generating Station in 2022, which was demolished earlier this year, resulted in the loss of 450 jobs in Farmington, many of them belonging to members of the Navajo Nation. These traditional energy workers now face an uncertain future as the state continues its pivot toward renewables.

A 2020 study on workforce development acknowledged the potential for new opportunities in the post-pandemic “clean energy” sector but warned of major drawbacks. “It is far from given that these jobs will replace those lost from the transition away from fossil fuels,” the report noted, cautioning that the eco-left industry lacks diversity and may not equitably fill these new roles with local workers unless serious policy changes are made.

Sen. Pat Woods, R-Broadview, pointed out the irony of this shift, noting that much of the funding for infrastructure projects comes from oil and gas revenues. “I am glad the Governor is putting her agencies to work,” Woods said, but he expressed doubt about whether these programs would actually benefit New Mexican workers in the long run.