Unified Action – May 2015

Ask Elected Officials to Intervene in El Paso Electric Rate Case

Sponsored by Merrie Lee Soules and Steve Fischmann

The issue

El Paso Electric has filed a rate case with the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission requesting a 7.1% increase in non-fuel-related revenue and a change to some major features of the current rate structure. New Mexico ratepayers should be benefiting from reductions in fuel costs and investments in solar, renewable energy, and energy-efficiency initiatives like the LED street lighting in Las Cruces. Instead, New Mexico ratepayers are being asked to finance El Paso Electric’s building spree, subsidize Texas, and punish actions that benefit us all.

Both the City of Las Cruces and Doña Ana County have said they will intervene on behalf of their constituents in El Paso Electric rate cases and other filings El Paso Electric makes with the New Mexico PRC. However, this has not happened. El Paso Electric has filed a rate case and made 3 other filings that affect all of us in southern New Mexico. Neither the City nor the County have intervened on our behalf.

What we are asking

Send an email to the Mayor of Las Cruces and the Chair of the County Commission with a copy to Tom Shockley, President and CEO of El Paso Electric.

County Commission Chair, Billy Garrett: bgarrett@donaanacounty.org
Mayor of Las Cruces, Ken Miyagishima: kmiyagishima@las-cruces.org
El Paso Electric CEO, Tom Shockley: tom.shockley@epelectric.com

Write something like:

In regard to the upcoming El Paso Electric rate case, I request the filing of intervener status on my behalf to accomplish the following:

  1. Minimize the New Mexico Revenue Requirement so that New Mexicans pay no more than our fair share
  2. Use rate design to reward desired behavior:
  • Incentives (not disincentives) for solar and other distributed generation of renewable energy
  • Meaningful incentives that reduce peak demand usage and encourage energy conservation
  • Expansion of interruptible rate opportunities

Thank you,

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