press releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, released the following statement today after voting against legislation to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline: “Tar sands are not the right choice to meet our future energy needs. Instead of focusing on the past, which...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich's (D-N.M.) delivered an opening statement before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources today during a hearing on a bill he introduced with U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) to improve the process for reviewing permits to export U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) to our allies and create...

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A long-stalled New Mexico energy project has finally gotten the green light from the feds. It’s a power transmission line backers believe will bring thousands of jobs to the state. The Obama administration is calling the $2 billion transmission line a win for the state’s economy and the...

U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich with U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, and U.S. Congressman Ben Ray Luján.  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment Katherine Hammack,...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, delivered a speech on the Senate floor today in opposition to legislation to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline.  "I would argue that the sooner we commit ourselves to a clean energy, job-incentive future, the sooner we...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), released the following statement tonight after President Obama's State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress: "Tonight, the president laid out a clear vision to increase opportunities for all Americans and strengthen our middle class. While our nation's economy is progressing,...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) voted against advancing legislation to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline during a markup in the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Senator Heinrich, who is also a member of the Climate Action Task Force, is a lead proponent of reversing the effects of climate change and...

WASHINGTON, DC  - Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) to introduce the LNG Permitting Certainty and Transparency Act. The bipartisan legislation will speed up the approval process for exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to countries that do not have free trade agreements with the United...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced that the president has signed legislation providing $324 million for recovery and operations at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, N.M. Earlier this year, Udall, a member of the Appropriations Committee, and Heinrich had requested the funding to...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) delivered a Senate floor speech today to highlight key conservation and energy bills he helped secure in the FY 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).  "We stand on the cusp of passing one of the most significant pieces of public land legislation since 2009," said Sen. Heinrich...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, cosponsored the Promoting Regional Energy Partnerships for Advancing Resilient Energy Systems Act (PREPARE Act), a bill to help states modernize U.S. energy systems to make them cleaner, more efficient, cost-effective,...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, issued the following statement on the state of New Mexico's decision to fine the U.S. Department of Energy over $54 million for numerous violations at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant and Los Alamos National...

Climate change is one of the greatest economic challenges, and opportunities, of this century. We can deny that our climate is warming, and remain stuck behind our economic competitors in the developed – and increasingly, in the developing – world. Or we can move forward with a clean energy economy that will create jobs and protect the...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, introduced a bill (S. 2947) to remove barriers to creating a cleaner, more consumer-friendly electric grid. The bill clarifies that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has the legal authority to require...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, released the following statement today after voting against the Keystone XL Pipeline legislation: "This debate is not about a pipeline. It's really about market signals. A vote to approve Keystone sends the signal that carbon...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - As Congress finalizes its fiscal year 2015 spending bills, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced today they are seeking continued support for funding for the recovery of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, N.M. In a letter to Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, released the following statement today after President Obama announced an agreement with China to reduce carbon pollution and combat climate change: "This historic agreement is welcome news and a positive step toward creating...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján sent a letter to the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) strongly encouraging them to maintain requirements from the existing National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) contract that support...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced that more than $2.8 million has been awarded to 13 tribal energy and mineral development projects in New Mexico. These awards to eight tribes will help them better evaluate and make use of their energy and mineral resources to benefit the tribal, state, and...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich issued the following statement today on the release of the Department of Energy’s Recovery Plan for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, New Mexico: “This is a reasonable framework for moving forward. It incorporates recommendations from the Accident...