·       PNM claims that the legislation would take over the investor-owned utilities’ power grid, but this is a lie. The legislation allows municipalities, counties, and tribes to generate energy but relies on (and pays) investor-owned utilities to provide transmission and distribution services; the investor-owned utilities maintain the ownership and management of the grid, and they are fully compensated for these services.

·       They say that in Illinois and Massachusetts, regulators found that residential customers lost money to local choice providers, but the issues they are referring to are with deregulated predatory companies, not community-owned local choice providers.

·       They say that local choice providers will get expensive power from out-of-state energy brokers, but the evidence on the ground where this is the law shows local renewable energy development, stable costs, competitive costs, and frequently lower costs offered by local choice providers. There are no examples of unreasonably high rates paid by customers of local choice providers in other states.

·       They say that local choice providers wouldn’t be subject to the state’s renewable portfolio standards, but they are subject to the exact same renewable portfolio standards set out in the Energy Transition Act (“ETA”). There is evidence that local choice providers exceed renewable targets faster and for less cost to ratepayers.

·       They say that local choice providers would not be subject to PRC oversight, but this is also false. The PRC approves detailed implementation plans submitted by local choice providers before they are allowed to commence operations.

·       They say that this policy will result in energy shortages, but there have been no energy shortages or disruptions in service as a result of this policy where it is the law… 8 states, 1800 communities, proven results.

·       They say that this will hinder their ability to meet the goals set out in the ETA, but that is also false. This is not a zero-sum game. When local choice energy is the law, LCE communities will create a market for increased local renewable energy generation. As a result IOU’s will have more local options to procure renewable energy.

Making it easier for IOUs to add renewable to their mix, a good thing because, it isn’t as if PNM, El Paso Electric or Xcel are exactly racing to deliver renewables to their customers.

• Despite the ETA passing in 2019, none of NM’s IOUs have exceeded 10% renewable in their energy mix. We can do better.