Post by pavel on Apr 11, 2016 22:33:13 GMT -6
Anti-coal advocates lead protests as hearings start on PNM rate hike
On a cold, cloudy Monday morning about 50 people showed up outside the PERA Building — which houses the state Public Regulation Commission — to demonstrate against a 15.8 percent electrical rate hike requested by New Mexico’s largest utility and its continued heavy reliance on coal to generate power.
Public Service Company of New Mexico’s proposed new rates for residential customers would generate about $123.5 million in new revenue for the company.
The regulatory commission, which last year rejected an earlier rate-increase proposal by PNM, on Monday began a three-week public hearing process on PNM’s latest rate proposal.
PNM has defended its plans for continued substantial use of coal in the near future, contending that rates would be pushed even higher without it. “The bottom line is we’re not adding any more coal,” a company spokeswoman said in a statement Monday. “Coal is still an affordable and reliable option. We have to minimize costs to customers.”
Read more: www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/anti-coal-advocates-lead-protests-as-hearings-start-on-pnm/article_28cc526d-7968-522f-bde4-6902fdbd4968.html
On a cold, cloudy Monday morning about 50 people showed up outside the PERA Building — which houses the state Public Regulation Commission — to demonstrate against a 15.8 percent electrical rate hike requested by New Mexico’s largest utility and its continued heavy reliance on coal to generate power.
Public Service Company of New Mexico’s proposed new rates for residential customers would generate about $123.5 million in new revenue for the company.
The regulatory commission, which last year rejected an earlier rate-increase proposal by PNM, on Monday began a three-week public hearing process on PNM’s latest rate proposal.
PNM has defended its plans for continued substantial use of coal in the near future, contending that rates would be pushed even higher without it. “The bottom line is we’re not adding any more coal,” a company spokeswoman said in a statement Monday. “Coal is still an affordable and reliable option. We have to minimize costs to customers.”
Read more: www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/anti-coal-advocates-lead-protests-as-hearings-start-on-pnm/article_28cc526d-7968-522f-bde4-6902fdbd4968.html