New Mexico seeking exemption from Biden oil and gas leasing pause - governor

[March 12, 2021]  (Reuters) - New Mexico's Democratic Governor is pushing for her state to get a waiver from the Biden administration's pause on new oil and gas leasing on federal lands, she said in a Zoom video recording seen by Reuters on Thursday.

Governor of New Mexico Michelle Lujan Grisham speaks by video feed during the virtual 2020 Democratic National Convention as participants from across the country are hosted over video links from the originally planned site of the convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. August 19, 2020. 2020 Democratic National Convention/Pool via REUTERS

Speaking to the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said she was "clearly concerned" about the policy and thought the state should receive an exemption because of its efforts to tackle climate change.

"Create a program that gives credit to states that are well beyond where the federal government and other states are in terms of climate change initiatives, cleaning up the environment, curbing carbon emissions and having an all of the above energy effort," Lujan Grisham told the virtual meeting.

"You do that, (and) New Mexico's going to get an exemption, a waiver," she said.

She said her staff met with officials at the Department of Interior to discuss this recently. The Department would not comment on the governor's remarks.

(Reporting by Nichola Groom and Valerie Volcovici; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)

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