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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Stewart

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/10/2007

HB 837

SHORT TITLE Documentaries on Renewable Energy

SB

ANALYST Schuss

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$280.0

Recurring

General

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Energy, Mineral and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD)

Economic Development Department (EDD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 837 appropriates $280,000 from the general fund to the Economic Development

Department for expenditure in FY07 and FY08 for the filming of documentaries on renewable

energy projects in New Mexico.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $280,000 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY08 shall revert to the

general fund.

EDD states that there will be no major fiscal impacts other than that of the appropriation.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

According to EDD, these documentaries would be made at the five Film Technicians Training

House Bill 837 – Page

2

Programs around the state, and the monies distributed accordingly. These schools are: SF

Community College, CNM, NM College at El Rito, ENMU at Roswell and NMSU’s Creative

Media Institute/ Dona Ana Community College branch. Each film would focus on a different

aspect of New Mexico’s efforts to develop renewable energy, i.e. solar, biomass, etc

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

ENMRD notes that there are several existing renewable energy projects in New Mexico and

educational and public outreach programs are needed that promote New Mexico in the growing

renewable energy markets in wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal development. Documentary

messages could communicate the benefits that renewable energy programs bring to the people of

New Mexico and the state through economic development, the importance of these programs to

energy security, and how these programs mitigate the effects of pollution and global climate

change caused by greenhouse gases.

BS/mt