Home › Actions › PNM Decision Delayed to Weds. Sept 28 Raise Your Voices

PNM Decision Delayed to Weds. Sept 28 Raise Your Voices

By paulgibson51 on September 24, 2016 • ( 0 )

The PRC failed to decide on the most critical pieces to PNM’s rate hike: PNM’s investment in coal and nuclear which will saddle us with over $500M in investments in dirty coal and risky nuclear AND the full cost of cleaning up the messes in 15 years. There were other options. Read on to discover what you can do.

This is about the biggest decision any body in NM will make this year or next. Do we fall in line with PNM after they did absolutely ZERO (by their own admission) to investigate alternatives to purchasing nuclear from Utah and investing $500M in Four Corners coal? No cost analysis. No RFP to see if there were other options, other bidders. Interestingly just before the PRC considered the rate hike on Wednesday, leadership from EnerNOC.OInc, a group that consults with energy purchasers throughout the country, testified to the PRC about their services and how most energy is purchased: either through auction or RFP. The irony of this national organization telling the PRC the kinds of thoughtful processes used to purchase energy just moments before the Commissions consideration of PNMs rate hike to cover its purchases committing us to 15 years of oil and nuclear without a single bit of research or bidding process. You couldn’t have made it up.

At the PRC hearing on Wednesday, after a long statement about how he felt consideration of the coal and nuclear issues should be held to the following week because he had over two hours of questions to ask, Commissioner Sandy Jones commented “I’ve been buried in email and phone calls. People are paying attention to this.” I noticed Patrick Lyons raise his eyebrows and nod. And these are two of the steadfast PNM supporters. So your voices are being heard. We just need to raise the volume.

Commissioners said they were committed to finishing the debate and casting their votes next Wednesday the 28th and discussed the likelihood of a 9am-9pm session. I am bringing lunch and dinner…and a sleeping bag and will report on Thursday. But between then and now, we have our work to do. This is what Retake the Roundhouse is about: make information accessible and make it easy to make your voices heard. So, click here to get speaking points, contact information and get to work. Call and email all five commissioners today, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.