Energy Secretary meets with New Mexico leaders on transition to clean energy

SANTA FE, N.M. — The U.S. Secretary of Energy was visiting New Mexico Friday, talking about the transition to clean energy and lowering energy costs for families.

At a roundtable held at Milagro Middle School in Santa Fe, Sec. Jennifer Granholm discussed New Mexico’s role in the transition to clean energy.

“Today, this is about how we can have these public-private partnerships to really launch this opportunity in clean energy,” she said.

Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-N.M.) hosted the roundtable with business owners, and community leaders about the transition to renewable energy, lowering energy costs, and creating jobs.

“I think New Mexico is such a leader, a leader in the resources, a leader in the labs and the brains of this, a leader in the partnerships with the state and the universities to be able to make this happen,” Granholm said.  “I think what you have here is really the secret sauce for becoming a leader for the nation in how to do this right.”

KOB 4 asked Granholm what she and the Biden administration are doing to lower the record-high gas prices.

“We’ve called upon an increase in production right now from our oil and gas companies, but the president has used the biggest tool in his arsenal which is releasing more supply from our strategic petroleum reserve,” she said. “So he’s called for releasing a million barrels a day for the next 6 months to try to stabilize prices.”

This is the secretary’s second trip to New Mexico. During her visit, she also toured Sandia National Laboratory.