New Mexico Embracing Funding Opportunities for Climate Infrastructure Projects

In an effort to reduce the cost of building any number of public infrastructure projects across the state, New Mexico Democrat Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has issued an Executive Order required to access federal funding for that work.

“Communities that have been devastated by natural disasters are wisely demanding that we sustainably manage the forests, build bridges that withstand flooding, and harden our telecommunications infrastructure against the threat of fire,” said Grisham in announcing the order.

“In short,” the Governor continued, “they are demanding climate-ready infrastructure.”

Grisham’s move is part of a larger national effort under the banner of the Governors’ Climate-Ready Workforce Initiative emphasizing projects that will be eligible for significant federal funding via the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

In announcing the national initiative, New York Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul emphasized a collaborative effort with industry, labor unions, and institutions of higher learning, among other partners, that will help to build a “clean, equitable, and resilient economy.”

One of parameters of the initiative, which is a part of the U.S. Climate Alliance, will see the training of workers for specific infrastructure jobs.

In New Mexico, said Grisham, that will mean the building of roads, bridges, dams, water systems, broadband networks, and affordable housing, with a $2 million grant effort managed by the Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department to train building code workers and specialists for conducting energy audits of commercial and residential buildings.
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Established in 2017, the U.S. Climate Alliance to date has a membership of 23 states and a public goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 28% by next year.

By Garry Boulard

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