SB 78

This bill amends New Mexico's renewable energy laws to reclassify nuclear energy as a renewable energy resource, allowing nuclear power to count toward the state's Renewable Portfolio Standard requirements for both public utilities and rural electric cooperatives. The legislation specifically adds nuclear facilities (both fission and fusion) that do not emit carbon dioxide or greenhouse gases during electricity generation to the definition of "renewable energy resource," while simultaneously removing the previous exclusion of nuclear energy from this category. This change would enable utilities to use nuclear power generation to meet their mandated renewable energy targets, potentially expanding the pathways for achieving the state's clean energy goals while recognizing nuclear power's zero-carbon emissions profile during operation.