2015 New Mexico Statutes
Chapter 62 - Electric, Gas and Water Utilities
Section 15 Rural Electric Cooperatives
Section 62-15-37 Definitions; energy efficiency; renewable energy.

62-15-37. Definitions; energy efficiency; renewable energy.

As used in the Rural Electric Cooperative Act:

A. "energy efficiency" means measures, including energy conservation measures, or programs that target consumer behavior, equipment or devices to result in a decrease in consumption of electricity without reducing the amount or quality of energy services;

B. "renewable energy" means electric or useful thermal energy:

(1) generated by use of low- or zero-emissions generation technology with substantial long-term production potential; and

(2) generated by use of renewable energy resources that may include:

(a) solar, wind and geothermal resources;

(b) hydropower facilities brought in service after July 1, 2007;

(c) fuel cells that are not fossil fueled; and

(d) biomass resources, such as agriculture or animal waste, small diameter timber, salt cedar and other phreatophyte or woody vegetation removed from river basins or watersheds in New Mexico, landfill gas and anaerobically digested waste biomass; but

(3) does not include electric energy generated by use of fossil fuel or nuclear energy; and

C. "useful thermal energy" means renewable energy delivered from a source that can be metered and that is delivered in the state to an end user in the form of direct heat, steam or hot water or other thermal form that is used for heating, cooling, humidity control, process use or other valid end-use energy requirements and for which fossil fuel or electricity would otherwise be consumed.

History: Laws 2007, ch. 4, 4; 2015, ch. 64, 2; 2015, ch. 71, 2.