An inventory of New Mexico's greenhouse gas production shows residents have reduced their average emissions from gasoline use over a seven-year period, but they're consuming more energy to heat, cool and power their homes.

Despite efforts by Gov. Bill Richardson's administration to address climate change and lower greenhouse gas emissions, a draft inventory prepared by the state Environment Department shows New Mexico's total direct emissions increased by about 4 percent between 2000 and 2007 to 80 million metric tons.

Richardson has signed several executive orders aimed at curbing the pollution blamed for global warming. He has appointed advisory groups to come up with recommendations and mandated that state government become more energy efficient.

However, environmentalists say the inventory is evidence that the state needs to do more to regulate emission sources.

"We should be concerned because the governor has stated his goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and if we're increasing emissions, we're not on the right track. Pure and simple," said Jeremy Nichols, the climate and energy program director for environmental group WildEarth Guardians.

Despite the increase, state officials argued Monday that the inventory shows the policies the administration began implementing in 2005 are beginning to have an impact.

Between 1990 and 2000, greenhouse gas emissions jumped more than 20 percent _ more than five times the increase seen over the last seven years, said Jim Norton, director of the Environment Department's Environmental Protection Division.

"The goal here is to slow, stop and reverse the growth of greenhouse gas emissions. We haven't stopped the growth yet but we're certainly on that path," Norton said. "We're about to reach that cusp that we've all been waiting for where we hit the peak and we start to move back down."

State officials expect the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions to be even more significant in the next few years thanks to New Mexico's renewable energy portfolio standard, which requires utilities to produce a certain percentage of electricity from renewable sources, and more stringent emission standards for cars and trucks beginning with the 2011 model year.

Richardson also has proposed developing recommendations for reducing emissions from existing coal-fired power plants and establishing an emission performance standard for new fossil-fueled generating facilities.