The entire case pending before the NM Pubic Regulation Commission (PRC) is complicated, (click HERE for the hearing officers recommendations), but here are some basic facts you should know: Last year PNM agreed to shut down two coal-fired units at San Juan Generating Station (SJGS). To offset this loss and provide New Mexicans with clean, carbon-free electricity, PNM secured an ownership position in Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant, the nation’s largest electricity producer and the largest electricity producer in the world in 2014. PNM also agreed to retrofit the remaining two units at SJGS with equipment meant to reduce fine ash particles for cleaner air in the Four Corners region.
Why are we asking you to make your voice heard? Unfortunately, there are vocal activists who want SJGS completely shut down and all electricity power coming from renewable sources. It doesn’t matter to the activists that it would cost roughly $1.5 billion to replace SJGS power with solar. Nor does it matter that Palo Verde produced electricity is clean, efficient and 100% carbon-free. Backed with funding from the solar and wind industry, a few vocal groups don’t want the PRC to allow PNM to recover any costs associated with Palo Verde or the installation of cleaner air equipment at SJGS.
The ‘only renewable energy’ activists do not want to discuss the fact that wind and sun only produce energy about 30 percent of the time and utility scale battery storage is not yet available. Opponents don’t want PNM to recover the costs of owning a percentage of the Palo Verde nuclear plant because they’re against nuclear and want all plants closed. Even climate scientists lobbying for carbon reduction say that nuclear plants are critical to reducing carbon because they are emission free. Without them utilities are forced to use fossil fuels, which increases carbon compared to carbon-free nuclear energy. A negative decision from the PRC would also have a chilling effect on the state’s economy because it would clearly show that New Mexico is not business friendly and would discourage businesses from locating here.
It only takes 30 seconds to let PRC commissioners know you want affordable electricity available 24-7, not just when the sun is out and the wind is blowing: SIGN THE PETITION HERE.
Contact NMBC with questions, comments or concerns at nmbiz@nmbizcoalition.org or (505) 836-4223.