Is New Mexico’s Energy Secretary also an “Executive Director?”

October 16, 2019

Who does New Mexico’s Secretary of Energy work for?

According to the website of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) Sarah Cottrell Propst is the Secretary who leads the department and is appointed by the Governor. According to the same bio, Secretary Propst “served as the Executive Director of the Interwest Energy Alliance, a non-profit trade association that represents the nation’s leading companies in the renewable energy industry.”

So why is Secretary Propst still listed as an “Executive Director” in campaign finance reports? According to a campaign donation disclosure posted yesterday, Propst donated $1,000 to her boss earlier this month and listed her occupation as Executive Director even though she’s been on the job as Secretary since January.

If the name Interwest sounds familiar, that’s because it’s the same company Secretary Propst was caught working with to draft New Mexico’s controversial Energy Transition Act.

From the Associated Press:

Environmentalists were critical of the energy secretary under the previous Republican administration. They often complained about Ken McQueens ties to oil and gas, suggesting the former energy executive’s policies were favorable to the industry.

It appears as long as the insider access is to green companies, there is nothing to complain about.