The Sustainability Division reports annually on climate action policies, actions, ongoing projects, and greenhouse gas emissions to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). CDP is a global non-profit organization that grades cities, counties, states, regions, and corporations on their emissions, goals and contributions to climate action. This grading process incorporates emissions as well as deforestation and water security in their calculations for global impact.

Santa Fe County was awarded an A- grade this year for mitigation and an A for adaptation based upon the CDP’s recent evaluation of the County’s reported improvements and Climate Action Planning. This grade is considered a climate action leadership level, recognizing the County’s Sustainability related work and goals achieved from FY2022 through FY2023. As described by CDP, this leadership level is a “demonstration of best practice standards across adaptation and mitigation areas, and ambitious goals and substantial progress towards achieving those goals.”

Thanks to the community and their district representative Commissioners for the continued support of the ambitious plans and actions to address climate change at our local level. Special thanks also to all of the individual County staff members and leadership – specifically in the County Manager’s Office, Finance and Procurement, Public Works, Growth Management and Community Development - that have contributed to this effort. No one person, division or department can do the work that is needed to turn our beloved planet ship toward calmer, cleaner, survivable horizons, and the work continues. Yet, this new level of leadership could not have been accomplished without all of those who stepped in to improve upon systems and policies, and/or track the data. Therefore, as we continue to march on and proudly thank you to all who have made coming this far, possible.

As a result of reaching a leadership level grade for Santa Fe County, the Sustainability Division was awarded a certificate of appreciation by the Board of County Commissioners during their regular meeting on November 28th, 2023.

Sustainable energy solutions, like the recent investments in electric vehicles infrastructure, are the driving force for developing more sustainable economies. An increasingly important component of reaching sustainable energy goals are the incorporation of Battery Energy Storage Systems, or BESS. These systems are key to facilitating the accessibility of renewable energy sources, improving grid stability and reliability, and decentralization of energy generation.

Nationally, U.S. battery storage capacity is expected to increase from approximately 7 gigawatts (GW) in 2023 to 30 GW by 2025. In 2022 alone, $5 billion was invested into BESS, a threefold increase from the previous year. The global BESS market is expected to double by 2030, reaching between $120-150 billion. At the state level, New Mexico recently approved legislature which targets deploying 1GW of energy storage by December 2028, and 4GW by 2034. Similar legislation from the lower house in Michigan proposed its own legal energy storage target, of 2.5GW of deployments by 2030. The rapid development and investment into the BESS industry will play a major role in the way New Mexico manages its potential for developing renewable energy resources.

One consequence of accelerated transitions to grid-scale BESS have been concerns about safely integrating these systems into residential communities. The battery storage industry has made marked improvements in BESS safety throughout recent years. Between 97-98% of the 1,000+ BESS currently installed were put into operation without issue. Between 2021 and 2023 thirty-two major safety incidents were reported at BESS facilities. These incidents reveal that battery storage carries relatively low, yet inherent and unique risks which must be managed to ensure public safety. In an effort to meet these concerns, the Public Safety Department presented on a proposed amendment of the Santa Fe County Fire Code, to adopt National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) 855 stationary energy storage systems standards during a Special Meeting of the Board of County Commissioners on November 17th.

The holiday season is upon us! Below are a few of our favorite tips for celebrating with the planet in mind.

• Shop Local: Support your community, minimize the energy needed to transport goods, and avoid supply chain issues by shopping close to home.
• Green Gifting!
• "Regifting" isn't a crime or shabby! Pass along hand-me-downs and heirlooms. These are also called “story gifts” because they have a story behind them.
• Share handmade gifts from the heart and not from the store. Visit a reuse center to pick up supplies for handmade, recycled holiday gifts.
• Avoid purchasing new items and instead give a local experience, like a cooking class, museum visit, or movie night.
• Reuse gift boxes, bags, and baskets: Americans throw away 25% more trash between Thanksgiving and New Year. Cut down on wrapping paper and ribbon by packaging gifts in boxes, bags, fabric, and baskets that can be reused year after year. Repurposed maps and recycled paper bags can also make great alternatives to wrapping paper!
• Recycle broken holiday lights: Old holiday lights can be recycled at the Buckman Road Recycling and Transfer Station for a fee or at Capital Scrap. Consider purchasing more energy efficient LED holiday lights if you need replacements.
• Recycle your tree: Be on the lookout for recycling options for cut trees at the end of December.

No matter the ways, big or small, we can all make an effort to save more precious resources.  Thank you for all that you do in your own households to make this happen!

The Sustainability team wishes you and yours a wonderful holiday season!