[Lwvcnmtopics] NM PRC meeting today

[George Richmond]

Some good news:

In mid August, the NM PRC will resume meeting in person at their Santa 
Fe office and the meetings will be carried on You Tube as well so I, and 
others, can continue to view.  As all the Commissioners/staff/guests 
will be there, the sound quality should be vastly improved.

And now for the rest of the news:

PNM reported on the status of their San Juan Generating Station which 
had closed down when the cooling tower failed.  It is now back on line.  
However, PNM plans to shut it down in June of next year.

The company has ordered new generating capacity, which is currently 
delayed.  Also, the forest fires in CA/OR have cut back reserve power in 
the Western Grid.  So, PNM says that their margin of reserve power next 
June will be around 5%.  They said that they prefer at least a 12-14% 
reserve and 18% is ideal.  When asked what they would do to meet large 
power demands, they did not have an answer.

Their options are to pay the going price in the market, which will be 
high and just passed on to rate payers (consumers of power) or shed 
load, which means cutting off customers.

I sent an email to the NM PRC Chair with my comments.

The issue of PNM and Face Book which involves energy storage and new 
renewable energy was not resolved.  The NM PRC is suggesting the 
PNM/Face Book include storage for use for other customers.

Last week four of the five commissioners were in Denver for a national 
meeting of the National Association or Regulated Utility Commissioners.  
A common issue is that State Legislators all over the US really do not 
know what PRC or PUC commissioners do.  (I have learned and the 
Commissioners have said that the NM PRC is underfunded....not unusual in 
NM, I feel.)


George Richmond

Meeting today:  930 AM Start and ended around 200 PM, but with about 1.5 
hours break for closed session meeting and lunch.


-- 
George M. Richmond
152 Juniper Hill Road, NE
Albuquerque, NM 87122-1913

C: 505-280-2105
E: geomrich1 at comcast.net


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