New Mexico Bill would provide San Juan College with $500,000 for renewable energy program

San Juan College is getting attention in Santa Fe for its potential in training a renewable energy industry workforce.  A bill introduced in the New Mexico House of Representatives would turn the college into a Center of Excellence for renewable energy. It would be one of four Centers of Excellence in the state. Each center would receive $500,000.Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has pushed to create the centers. Each would have its own focus. For example, New Mexico State University’s focus would be agriculture and University of New Mexico would focus on bioscience. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, the fourth center of excellence, would focus on cybersecurity.“I think we were selected based on our long history of working with our energy partners,” said San Juan College President Toni Pendergrass.Nora Sackett, a spokeswoman for the governor, said in an email statement that the college’s former renewable energy program was highly ranked and considered one of the best in the nation.