New Mexico gas and electric utilities are going to be required to have plans in place for severe weather-related crises. The Public Regulation Commission's recent 5-0 vote mandates state-regulated utilities be better prepared. The new guidelines mean utilities must "explicitly" take into account issues such as backup capabilities and alternate fuel-delivery systems.
The rules stem from recommendations made in a PRC report on the impact of a deep freeze in February 2011. The freeze caused natural gas outages and loss of service for several days for at least 28,000 customers.
A New Mexico Gas Co. spokeswoman says the utility supports the new provisions.
PNM spokeswoman Valerie Smith says the company may ask for clarification on some of the requirements.
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Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.