President Biden was in New Mexico last week to boost his administration’s goal to bring jobs back to America while fighting the effects of climate change. The president spoke for about 25 minutes to supporters and critics alike at the future Arcosa Wind Tower Factory in Belen, highlighting the Inflation Reduction Act and its focus on seeking out green alternatives to oil and gas. Biden stated that the wind tower facility will bring new life to the old Solo Cup factory that’s been vacant for years.
Antonio Carrillo, President and CEO of Arcosa, said, “Arcosa is proud to have hosted President Biden at today’s event. This new plant demonstrates the expected long-term positive impact of the Inflation Reduction Act that is driving the transition to clean energy and job creation. When completed the Belen plant will produce wind towers to meet the growing demand for renewable energy.”
Because of the Inflation Reduction Act, Arcosa has received $1.1 billion in new wind tower orders, which prompted the company to choose New Mexico as a location for a new plant.
This event is huge for New Mexico, especially for rural communities which have historically been held captive by oil and gas revenues. One-third of New Mexicans live in rural areas, and most of the crude oil and natural gas produced in the state comes from the less populous areas of the San Juan Basin, the Raton Basin, the Bravo Dome (near Clayton), and the Permian Basin near Hobbs.
Speaking of Hobbs New Mexico, Hobbs is the largest city in Lea County which as of 2022 is the largest oil-producing county in the U.S. with over four generations of workers in the oil and gas industry. However, this past June, Xcel Energy announced plans to build a solar-generating site in the town.
An example of how rural communities are beholden to the fossil fuel industry is the reaction of some to U.S Interior Secretary Deb Haaland’s planned visit to Chaco Culture Historical Park last June. After the agency announced that they would curb the pace of oil and gas development in the San Juan Basin, a group of Navajo nation landowners blocked the road to the park, forcing Halland to scrap her visit. The main complaint from the protestors was the potential loss of income from drilling royalties.
As we swelter this summer in record-breaking heat, and fires rage in Canada and on the island of Maui, it is time for rural communities to plan for a future independent of the fossil fuel industry. However, the most daunting barrier to battling climate change is the dependence on oil and gas revenue in order to support schools, improve roads, infrastructure, and provide other essential services to residents. Oil and gas fat cats will do anything to protect the status quo and perpetuate a system where communities are totally dependent on the industry to pay bills, feed their families and clothe their children.
Although the Arcosa plant may seem like small beans to some people, it is an example of how communities can create a new source of revenue that will take the political strength away from oil and gas executives and put it back in their hands. This way, the people, not the industry, can determine their own future, and at the same time, fight the horrific effects of climate change.