SANTA FE – The New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department is launching a series of public forums to gather ideas for developing the state's first Comprehensive Energy Transition Strategy.

The seven forums will be held at various locations across the state. Each individual forum will focus on how that specific region can contribute to, and benefit from, New Mexico's transition a clean energy economy. The first forum is scheduled for Jan. 28 from 9 a.m. to noon at New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs.

"These public policy forums are a transparent way to get New Mexicans involved in planning for a sustainable, reliable, and affordable energy future for our state," said EMNRD Acting Secretary Erin Taylor. "We look forward to hearing our neighbors' ideas for how to create that future."

The Hobbs forum will explore how stakeholders can leverage innovation, infrastructure, investment and incentives to electrify the Permian region's oil and gas operations while ensuring reliable, affordable, and community-focused energy service, strengthening the workforce, and reducing emissions.

The forum will engage a diverse group of stakeholders, including residents, community leaders, workers, and businesses, in shaping policy solutions that reflect real community priorities. Ideas generated in the forum will help inform state policy decisions that affect energy reliability, economic opportunity, and quality of life in the Permian region.

These forums are part of a major project to develop the state's first Comprehensive Energy Transition Strategy (CETS). New Mexico State University's Arrowhead Center is facilitating the forums.

The CETS project, which launched in May 2025, is supported by an appropriation from the state legislature, and will ultimately provide a detailed roadmap to reinforce New Mexico's position as a national and global leader in the energy transition. The public policy forums component of CETS are public, community-centered conversations focused on developing recommendations for how regions in New Mexico can secure clean, reliable, and affordable energy while supporting industry and economic growth.

The second forum, scheduled for Feb. 11 in Farmington, will address issues around building the state's future electricity grid. More information on CETS, including research papers, educational materials and a form to register for the public forums is available here.

The complete forum schedule is below.

                                                     CETS Forum Schedule

Jan. 28

Hobbs

Reliable Energy Delivery and Emission Reductions

Feb. 11

Farmington

Grid Resilience and Buildout

Feb. 25

Española

Rural and Tribal Land Electrification

March 11

Sunland Park

The Future of Transportation

March 25

Albuquerque

Energy Efficiency and Incentives

April 8

Gallup

Geothermal Energy through Innovation

April 22

Santa Fe

Critical Data for the Energy Transition