SANTA FE, N.M. - A group of youth activists in New Mexico heads to the Roundhouse today to deliver more than 1,000 signatures. They're calling on Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to reverse her request to President Joe Biden to exempt New Mexico from the temporary pause on new oil and gas leasing on federal lands.

Seneca Johnson, a steering committee member for Youth United for Climate Crisis Action (YUCCA), will join youth leaders from pueblos and communities throughout northern New Mexico and the Four Corners area. She said bolder action, not more support for fracking, is needed to address climate change.

"I think fracking's incredibly harmful to our communities - to indigenous people and people on the front lines," she said, "and I think these communities have been hurting from the impacts of fracking for a really long time now, and it's just gone unaddressed."

Biden halted permits for fracking on federal lands by executive order at the beginning of his term, and recently extended the pause, at least through July. The youth petition calls on the New Mexico governor to support the freeze rather than pursuing an exemption for the state.

Anni Hanna, founder of the group New Mexico Climate Justice, will chaperone the students to the State Capitol in Santa Fe.

"Federal lands are for the benefit of all us," she said, "and not for these huge oil corporations, oil and gas fracking corporations, that come in."

Castille Aguilar, 22, is a campaign organizer with YUCCA who said she's been involved in environmental and social justice for more than a decade.

"This is really important that we start looking at transitioning away from what is harmful," she said, "not only for our environment but also for our communities."

YUCCA and New Mexico Climate Justice representatives will ask the governor for further study on the health impacts of fracking, as well as greater investment in alternative ways the state could generate revenue, so its budget won't depend so heavily on oil and gas revenues. Data from the state's Oil Conservation Division reported a nearly 11% increase from 2019 to 2020 in barrels of oil produced.

A coalition of environmental groups is asking the California Public Utilities Commission to dismiss a plan by gas utilities to blend hydrogen into the natural gas lines that help heat our homes and businesses. Opponents say hydrogen is too expensive, risks indoor air pollution and gas leaks, and is not guaranteed to be produced using renewable sources.

Jim Dennison, a staff attorney with the Sierra Club, said in the long term, the state needs to phase out appliances that use natural gas in favor of electric models.

"Ultimately, any kind of partial system that relies on this blending is going to prolong the reliance on the gas system, rather than giving a 100% solution to the problem through electrification," he contended.

So Cal Gas argues that the hydrogen will reduce the amount of natural gas used, and result in lower carbon emissions and less air pollution. They also cite a study from U.C. Riverside that found that blends of up to 5% hydrogen could be used without significantly increasing risk factors in storage, transmission and utilization. People can make input on the CPUC website.

Dennison noted that So Cal Gas, San Diego Gas & Electric, PG&E and Southwest Gas Corporation are seeking approval to pass $200 million in costs onto ratepayers for the pilot projects.

"This is the utilities' third try to get an application for hydrogen blending pilots approved. And so far, they keep failing to present applications that address basic questions about how to do this safely, and in a way that effectively engages the communities that are affected," he continued.

If approved, the projects would be built at U.C. Irvine, U.C. San Diego, Truckee, Lodi, and Orange Cove. The federal government is spending billions to build hydrogen hubs across the U.S., including one in Long Beach, in part to help decarbonize industries such as shipping.

A Georgia business owner is touting the effects of the Inflation Reduction Act on families, businesses and job creation, including her own.

Olivia Amyette, owner of Infinite Energy Advisers in Cleveland, Georgia, said her journey into the solar industry began at Georgia Tech. After graduating in December 2020 during the pandemic, she chose to stay in Georgia to care for her grandfather. Amyette credits the Inflation Reduction Act for helping jump-start her solar career, allowing her to support those in need and increase job opportunities.

"There's so much expansion and so much growth in the solar industry alone," Amyette pointed out. "It's brought so many jobs to the table, manufacturing here in Georgia, all types of exciting things that really, we wouldn't have seen, I don't believe, if the IRA was not in place."

She noted her company focuses on lowering energy costs for Georgia residents and businesses through what she calls a "one-stop shop model." The company recently joined a select group of solar energy providers in the Capital Goods Fund project, a solar leasing program for low-income residents.

Amyette also founded the Solar Knowledge Institute to address workforce diversity and pay gaps in the solar industry. She explained the goal is to serve as a comprehensive training site to help others enter the field.

"I'm able to provide a platform for other women and other minorities, and just anybody who's interested in learning this field," Amyette emphasized. "That's kind of one of the things that I think make us a little bit special, is that I'm able to use the Solar Knowledge Institute to train folks, even if they don't end up working for us."

Since the Inflation Reduction Act's inception, there have been 42 attempts to repeal its climate and clean energy provisions. Amyette believes it would affect solar industry business owners and workers, whose skills and livelihoods depend on the ongoing demand for solar installations.

"I think that we're super excited to see the IRA continue to expand and to build upon what foundation they put in place," Amyette stressed. "My worry is that if we don't have the IRA, you know, we won't have any chance of seeing just where that expansion would bring us as an industry."

She hopes to see a future where solar energy options are more accessible and affordable for homes and businesses.


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In its 75th year, the Idaho National Laboratory continues to lead on nuclear technology advancements.

The latest boost for the lab and the rest of Idaho is a federal designation as a technology hub. The Intermountain-West Nuclear Energy Corridor was among the inaugural group of tech hubs authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act approved by Congress in 2022. The hub includes both Idaho and Wyoming.

Hope Morrow, co-chair of the Idaho Advanced Energy Consortium, which is leading the nuclear energy corridor, emphasized the importance of the designation.

"It means a lot, quite frankly, to this region to be able to deploy the technology and research that has been created here," Morrow explained. "And then kind of accelerate this clean energy future for the world."

The hub is focused on advanced technology aiming to make nuclear reactors smaller and more economically viable, reducing the necessity for carbon emitting energy sources. While Idaho has been a leader in the nuclear industry, Morrow pointed out Wyoming is also included in the tech hub because of its strong energy industry.

Morrow observed the tech hub designation has created a space to talk about advanced nuclear technology in the region.

"We've seen a lot of pickup in the amount of partnerships -- from utilities, other states, other communities, industry partners, etc. -- that are all circling around the industry," Morrow emphasized. "We needed kind of a central body to host these conversations, bring energy together so we're all moving in the same direction."

The Intermountain-West Nuclear Energy Corridor was among 31 tech hubs chosen by the Biden-Harris administration in 2023 and included a grant of more than $460,000. The administration chose another 12 hubs earlier this month.


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