[Lwvcnmtopics] NM Public Regulation Commission Report

[George Richmond]

Last week, in the late afternoon, Commissioner Hall, our commissioner in 
District 1, had Camus give a presentation on Grids, or the Transmission 
of power.  Better grid management is vital in the future to reduce/end 
blackouts like the one in Texas in February. Avangrid, which is buying 
PNM, and our NM PIRC, are very capable of making sure NM has a good grid 
in the future.

Much of today's meeting dealt with matters from El Paso Electric and 
Southwestern Public Service, which serves some of the east side of NM, 
but notably not PNM, about making sure that customers who are not able 
to pay are given deferred payment options and are not just cut off.

Suffice it to say that the Five NM PRC commissioners are very interested 
in making sure that no electric customers are cut off. NM is providing 
help as well, but still it is up to the customer to work with the utility.

I did some research on the 20 or so rural electric cooperatives that 
provide service in NM.   Looking at NM's geography, about 80% of the NM 
land mass is served by Co Ops, but only about 211, 000 
businesses/homes.  By contract, the urban areas are served by PNM, El 
Paso Electric and Southwestern Public Service, a division of Xcel Energy.

PNM has about 530,000 businesses/homes it serves.

Now as to the acquisition of PNM by Avangrid, the Texas Public Utility 
Commission has approved the transaction as PNM owns Texas New Mexico 
Power, which provides service in the general area south of Lubbock and 
north of Midland-Odessa.

The hearings started on November 23, 2020 and ended March 31, 2021 and 
included 198 filings.  While I am sure the NM approvals will be done, 
they start in May and will end in the fourth quarter.   One of the 
parties signing off in TX was Walmart.

I did not read all of the filings, but if any one is really interested, 
let me know and I will send it out.

George Richmond,

Observer, NM PRC

-- 
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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