New Mexico Public Regulation Commission

• Jan 1, 2025

  Greg NibertAppointment · Commissioner · Announced

  Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham appointed former state Senator Greg Nibert, a lawyer and economist, to the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission for a six-year term beginning January 1, 2025.

Address

P.O. Box 1269, Santa Fe, NM 87504-1269

Phone

(505) 231-1320Fax (505) 827-4379

Website

prc.nm.gov ↗

Utility landscape

• Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) IOU

  Albuquerque metro, Santa Fe, and central/northern New Mexico electric service; largest IOU in the state

  PNM is navigating post-merger integration following the Avangrid acquisition approved in 2023 and continues to pursue aggressive coal exit and renewable portfolio expansion under the Energy Transition Act. Recent rate cases have focused on recovery of Four Corners and San Juan Generating Station securitization costs.

• New Mexico Gas Company (NMGC) IOU

  Natural gas distribution across much of New Mexico including Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, and Roswell

  NMGC, a subsidiary of Iberdrola USA/Avangrid, has faced scrutiny over infrastructure replacement cost recovery and gas supply cost pass-through mechanisms. The NMPRC has raised concerns about rate design equity and low-income affordability programs.

• El Paso Electric (EPE) IOU

  Southern New Mexico including Las Cruces, Deming, and the Doña Ana County region; also serves West Texas

  EPE filed a general rate case in 2024 seeking recovery of transmission investments and renewable integration costs; the NMPRC approved a partial rate increase with conditions on demand-side management program expansion.

• Southwestern Public Service Company (SPS/Xcel Energy) IOU

  Eastern New Mexico including Clovis, Hobbs, Roswell, and Lea and Curry counties

  SPS operates within the SPP wholesale market and has pursued significant wind integration investment in the eastern plains. Rate cases have addressed transmission cost allocation and coal retirement timelines at Tolk and Harrington facilities.

• Kit Carson Electric Cooperative coop

  North-central New Mexico including Taos, Questa, and portions of Rio Arriba and Colfax counties

  Kit Carson transitioned away from Tri-State Generation and Transmission in 2016 and has since built a locally-controlled renewable portfolio; it serves as a model for cooperative energy independence in the region and continues to expand solar and battery storage under its own IRP.

• City of Farmington Electric Utility System muni

  Farmington and portions of San Juan County in northwestern New Mexico

  Farmington is undergoing a significant energy transition following the closure of the San Juan Generating Station, on which the utility historically depended for low-cost coal power. The city is pursuing replacement capacity through PPAs and municipal solar development while managing rate impacts on a lower-income customer base.

Key issues

• PNM Energy Transition Act securitization and coal exit cost recovery: The NMPRC continues to oversee implementation of San Juan Generating Station securitization bonds and is evaluating PNM's compliance with ETA-mandated renewable replacement timelines, with disputes ongoing over prudency of transition expenditures.
• IRP and resource adequacy review cycle: Multiple New Mexico IOUs are in active Integrated Resource Plan review proceedings before the NMPRC, with contested issues around the pace of gas plant retirement, battery storage procurement obligations, and modeling assumptions for load growth tied to southeastern New Mexico oil and gas sector activity.
• Low-income and environmental justice rate design: The NMPRC has prioritized equity considerations in pending rate cases, including scrutiny of fixed charge structures, tiered rates, and the adequacy of CARE and other bill assistance programs as electricity costs rise with renewable transition investments.
• Permitting and interconnection delays for renewable projects: New Mexico's renewable buildout under the 100% carbon-free electricity standard (2045 deadline) is encountering significant interconnection queue backlogs at PNM and SPS, with the NMPRC considering state-level proceedings to address coordination with FERC Order 2023 implementation.
• Rural broadband and telecommunications regulation: The NMPRC retains jurisdiction over certain telecommunications providers and is engaged in proceedings addressing carrier-of-last-resort obligations, the sunset of legacy landline infrastructure, and the intersection of state USF funding with federal BEAD program broadband deployment in underserved rural areas.

Upcoming

• 2026-09-15

  Estimated deadline for public comment period in PNM's 2026 Integrated Resource Plan docket; NMPRC staff review and contested case hearings anticipated to follow in Q4 2026.

• 2026-10-01

  Estimated NMPRC hearing date for El Paso Electric's pending rate design modification filing addressing demand charge structures for residential customers with rooftop solar; intervenor testimony deadlines expected in September 2026.

• 2026-11-12

  Estimated NMPRC open meeting at which commissioners are expected to vote on proposed rulemaking updates to the Renewable Portfolio Standard compliance reporting requirements and prudency review standards for utility-scale storage projects.

• 2027-01-30

  Estimated statutory deadline for NMPRC final order in New Mexico Gas Company's general rate case if filed in mid-2026 per anticipated schedule; case involves infrastructure tracker recovery and low-income rate design reforms.