Oil Refinery Proposed for Clovis

While sipping my pinion coffee and scanning the Albuquerque Journal this morning, I was surprised to learn that the NM Senate "approved on a 29-9 vote a bill to authorize the New Mexico Finance Authority to issue up to $150 million in revenue bonds to build an oil refinery in the state. The funding would be contingent on a matching investment from the private sector. The bill headed to the House." This is SB16, introduced by Shannon Robinson (D-17). I hadn't read a word about the possibility of a new refinery in New Mexico in any of the reporting on the Session so far.

I poked around and found this:

Senate Joint Memorial 3 Introduced by William E. Sharer (R-1): REQUESTING THE STATE INVESTMENT COUNCIL TO EXPLORE A PRIVATE EQUITY INVESTMENT TO CONSTRUCT AN OIL REFINERY IN THE CLOVIS AREA. The bill is currently in the Senate Finance Committee.

And here I thought we were headed on a positive path towards becoming a leader in green energy and technology. I guess Democrat Shannon Robinson didn't get the message. I'm not sure how serious this effort is, but I find it disturbing nonetheless.

If you'd like to contact your legislators on these measures, visit the NM Legislature site. Even if this effort doesn't succeed in the Special Session, I'd be willing to bet it will be pursued at the regular session that starts in January. The oil lobby never quits, does it?