OPINION: New Mexico’s energy model is the blueprint America needs

There are few places more fitting than New Mexico to discuss America’s energy future. That’s why the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce hosted its 2026 Energy Summit (April 20-22) for a fifth year in a row in Santa Fe, bringing together corporate executives, utility leaders, infrastructure developers, policymakers and Hispanic leaders influencing the U.S. energy landscape.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. Energy investment must center on community, and at the heart of every community are small businesses and families. The U.S. Latino economy is a $4.1 trillion engine driving national growth. There are 5.6 million U.S. businesses that depend on natural gas to keep their doors open. And yet in 2024, Hispanic households paid 24% more of their income on energy than the national average, according to the National Hispanic Energy Council, stretching budgets and limiting economic mobility

Too often, energy debates in Washington are framed as a choice between fossil fuels and renewables. New Mexico proves that’s a false choice every day. Rich in natural resources, including vast untapped geothermal potential, and a national leader in renewables, the state ranks seventh in wind power, with wind supplying roughly 37% of its electricity in 2024. Natural gas provides another 29%, serving as an essential partner when the wind isn’t blowing, and is the primary heating source for 6 in 10 homes. New Mexico is a prime example of all-of-the-above energy in action.

Energy is the cornerstone of the state’s economy. New Mexico is the third-largest energy-producing state, the second-largest crude oil producer, and the third-largest natural gas producer. The oil and gas industry generated $13.1 billion in state and local revenue during the 2025 fiscal year, funding $680 million for K–12 education, $2.1 billion for health care and Medicaid, and $1.4 billion for public safety. New Mexico’s substantial revenue sharing partnerships with the federal government fund crucial resources that keep the state operating.

This is why we can’t limit energy infrastructure based on ideology. Renewables are essential to reducing emissions and building a sustainable future, but they are intermittent. Natural gas provides the flexibility and reliability that allows renewables to scale, and also reduces emissions in the process. From 2005-2019, about 65% of the reduction in U.S. power-sector CO₂ emissions came from the shift from coal to natural gas.

And yet some in Washington are pushing policies that would undermine that progress. Some Democratic leaders fight against fossil fuels while some Republican leaders fight against renewable energy. Natural gas price volatility is largely the result of blocking new pipeline construction. When you constrict supply, consumers pay more. We are already seeing this play out in New England and California, where electricity prices are rising sharply. Meanwhile, demand has increased 56% since 2005 while interstate pipeline capacity has grown only 26%. And as artificial intelligence-driven data centers push electricity demand even higher, the urgency of permitting reform and infrastructure investment only grows.

Hispanic businesses and families cannot afford to be left behind in a transition that ignores affordability. Cutting off natural gas and switching to all-electric power sounds appealing in theory, but upfront costs are out of reach for many low-income families already struggling with today’s utility bills.

A balanced, all-of-the-above approach is a strategy that reduces emissions, protects consumers, and ensures the energy transition is fair for all Americans. We must work together to drive down utility costs and build the infrastructure our communities depend on. This isn’t a red or blue issue. It’s a kitchen table issue. New Mexico is already showing the way, and it’s time Washington caught up.