WHAT WE DO
We meet with legislators, business leaders, state and federal agency representatives, NGO representatives, educators and citizens. We arrange our meetings on our own initiative or upon request. We develop partnerships and nurture strong, continuing relationships. We maintain a non-partisan stance on political issues surrounding renewable energy.
We engage in education and outreach through public presentations, public events, local and regional radio, local and regional print media, social media, and targeted one-on-one or small group meetings.
We prepare a variety of written materials, including letters, Op-Eds, fact sheets, technical reports, legislative documents, policy resolutions and other agreements, newsletters, presentations, advertising, email broadcasts, Facebook posts, web page text, and other items by initiative or request.
WHERE WE WORK
Our work originated in 2012 in Taos, New Mexico with a strong focus on the Kit Carson Electric Cooperative, Inc. service territory. This area includes all of Taos County, NM, and parts of adjoining Rio Arriba, Colfax, and Mora Counties. Our members also travel frequently to Santa Fe, NM for meetings with state and federal legislators, and state agency, NGO, and electric utility principals. Since 2012, we expanded our range of work to include all Rural Electric Cooperatives (RECs) in New Mexico, selected RECs in Colorado, and projects of the Rocky Mountain Institute (Boulder, CO), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL, Golden, CO).
EDUCATION
We offer educational services throughout our community and statewide in New Mexico by request or through our own initiatives. We launched Renewable Taos on February 18, 2013 with a public education event sponsored and hosted by Positive Energy Solar. This was the first of several events designed to provide new information on the urgency and solvability of our climate crisis, and the importance of rapid and widespread deployment of clean energy. See our EDUCATION page for a list of our educational events and materials.
INITIATIVES
Our initiatives target the rapid buildup of a renewable energy economy for our region, the State of New Mexico, and Rural Electric Cooperatives in general. We formulated our first major initiative during 2013 around the idea of compelling local governments in Taos and vicinity, New Mexico to make formal commitments to renewable energy. This initiative led to creation of our Joint Resolution on the Development of Renewable Energy in Taos County and North Central New Mexico (JR). Widespread, unanimous passage of our JR by ten local governments and other major entities during 2013-2014 ensured a regional political will to move ahead on renewable energy development and its enabling policies.
The success of our JR generated the concept of a formal intergovernmental agreement committing funding and resources towards regional renewable energy development. In response, Renewable Taos created a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) template for consideration by local governments. We first proposed the JPA to the Taos County Commissioners in a formal Work-Study session in March 2016. Further action on the JPA is pending, and may be superseded by the Kit Carson Electric Cooperative, Inc. Solar Plan enacted also in 2016.
Additional Renewable Taos initiatives in various stages of development include electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, an EV buyers’ club, and fleet purchases of EVs by local governments and larger businesses. We developed the Renewable Taos Project in concert with the Rocky Mountain Institute eLab accelerator program during 2015-2016. We are engaged in promoting large-scale renewable energy development for our region and the State of New Mexico, and participating in a regional energy market. During 2017-2018, we are pursuing an educational initiative with the University of New Mexico, Taos Campus (UNM-TAOS) towards programs on climate and energy. We began developing legislative initiatives in 2017, targeting the New Mexico Legislative Sessions of 2018 and 2019. We are also targeting energy efficiency improvements for Taos and vicinity.
See our INITIATIVES page for more details on our ideas that inform our work and the renewable energy efforts of our governments, utilities, businesses and citizens.
PROJECTS
We engage in self-initiated and collaborative projects targeting short- and long-term work under our Mission. Our project on creating and promoting a Joint Resolution on Renewable Energy (JR) for our region was hugely successful. The JR resulted in a strong foundation for progress on renewable energy development in our region. See our PROJECTS page for more examples and descriptions.
PARTNERS
Our partners include several organizations with whom Renewable Taos works through formal agreements, and many entities with whom we collaborate informally towards our vision of a renewable energy future. See the list and comments on our PARTNERS page.
RESEARCH
Renewable Taos members conduct general and specific research on renewable energy science, technology, economics and policy. We share our findings on an almost daily basis among our principals, and provide selected information to our members and partners through email broadcasts, Facebook, formal reports, and our monthly Renewable Taos Newsletter. See our RESEARCH page for information sources most commonly used by our team.
STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS
Renewable Taos, Inc. set major new directions during the last half of 2017. Our strategic planning for 2017 through 2020 calls for new work under these headings:
• National Renewable Energy, Solar Energy Innovation Network (NREL SEIN) Project
• Renewable Energy for Rural Electric Cooperatives Outreach Project
• New Mexico Energy Roadmap Project
• Legislative Action for New Mexico Clean Energy
• Planning and Promoting an Electrified Vehicle Transportation System
• Planning and Promoting Large-Scale Renewable Energy Development
• Continuing Education and Outreach
Visit our STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS page for more information.