By MEEGAN FIERRO ABELLA, Chevron Director for New Mexico oil and gas operation
It’s a familiar pattern: Bold leadership and meaningful progress often attract criticism. Under Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s leadership, New Mexico is raising the bar on responsible energy production, early childhood education, higher education, and universal childcare – all of which are transforming lives across our state.
New Mexico’s commitment to early childhood education and free pre-K has delivered remarkable results. According to the National Institute for Early Education Research, 21% of 3-year-olds and 51% of 4-year-olds in our state were enrolled in preschool programs in 2024 – far exceeding the national averages of 8% and 37%. These gains reflect bold investments in early learning.
The governor and the legislature have also expanded access to higher education through tuition-free college for New Mexico residents, preparing our youth for careers in emerging industries like artificial intelligence and quantum computing. With the enactment of universal free childcare – the first of its kind in the nation – New Mexico is leading the way in supporting working families.
These achievements reflect a broader, forward-looking approach to economic development that leverages the strength of New Mexico’s oil and natural gas industry to generate the revenues making these investments possible. As we build on this progress, we must also confront one of our state’s most urgent challenges: securing a sustainable water future.
New Mexico now has a promising path for addressing its water resource challenges through the treatment and beneficial reuse of produced water, which is generated from oil and gas operations. Unfortunately, some of the same voices who question the value of energy production to the state’s bottom line – including the industry revenues that help fund education and childcare programs – successfully pressured the Water Quality Control Commission (WQCC) to vacate the earlier decision to hold a hearing on the reuse petition. That hearing would have provided a forum to examine the scientific evidence supporting the safe and beneficial reuse of treated produced water for diverse economic development opportunities, like data centers, advanced manufacturing, renewable energy projects, and non-food agriculture.
Most importantly, using treated produced water to meet our compact delivery obligations with Texas would help protect local water rights in Taos County – where Chevron recently worked to protect water rights for the village of Questa, mutual domestic water associations, and local farmers – as well as in other rural communities across New Mexico. California has safely used treated produced water for nearly two decades. Texas is now advancing its own beneficial reuse initiatives, including the use of treated produced water transported across the state line from southeast New Mexico. But this water is a resource that should remain in New Mexico, where it can help secure our future and benefit the communities that make this state strong.
We thank the governor and the legislature for their past support in safeguarding critical water rights in places like Questa. We now urge the WQCC to vote again to set a new hearing for the WATR Alliance petition. The WQCC should continue its work and fully consider the scientific evidence supporting the safe and beneficial reuse of treated produced water. By listening to the science, New Mexico can unlock its full potential and ensure that every resident and community can thrive in a diversified, resilient economy.
Meegan Fierro Abella, of Hobbs, is Chevron’s director for New Mexico oil and gas operations, a native New Mexican and a proud graduate of New Mexico State University.
