Electric providers in New Mexico told the state’s utility regulator at citizens at a hearing on Thursday in Santa Fe that residents should be prepared to potentially lose power when high winds and dry conditions raise wildfire risk in their areas.
The providers were speaking at one of a handful of workshops being held by New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, called after the devastating 2022 wildfire season to discuss public safety power shutoffs.
Related: New Mexico Insurance Department Moving to Increase FAIR Plan Limits
The utilities cited increased fire risk and the financial dangers from class-action lawsuits, large utilities and small cooperatives told regulators and attendees that shutting off power when conditions require is essential to protect utilities and from expenses related to wildfires, Source NM is reporting.
It took more than four grueling months and hundreds of millions of dollars for the largest wildfire in New Mexico’s recorded history to be 100% contained.
Related: Review of Prescribed Fires Following Record New Mexico Blaze Finds Gaps
“These disasters not only cause massive losses for people and businesses, but for utilities as well,” stated PRC utility chair Gabriel Aguilera. “We’ve increasingly seen utilities facing lawsuits with insurance companies covering only a fraction of the damages, or in some cases, none at all.”
Source NM reported that PNM is facing a lawsuit from hundreds of victims of the McBride Fire in 2022. It was found that a tree falling into one of PNM’s utility lines caused the fire.
Topics Mexico
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