SENATE MEMORIAL 26

57th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2026

INTRODUCED BY

Peter Wirth and Pat Woods

 

 

 

 

 

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THAT THE NEW MEXICO SENATE SUPPORT NEW MEXICO UTILITIES PARTICIPATING IN REGIONAL TRANSMISSION ORGANIZATIONS AS A MATTER OF LOCAL AND STATEWIDE CONCERN TO ADVANCE REGIONAL COORDINATION, IMPROVE RELIABILITY AND AFFORDABILITY OF ELECTRICITY SERVICE, PROVIDE THE STATE'S RESIDENTS WITH DEPENDABLE ACCESS TO POWER AND SUPPORT THE STATE'S ENERGY TRANSITION.

 

     WHEREAS, New Mexico's energy transition and long-term economic growth depend on a reliable, affordable and efficiently coordinated regional electric grid that ensures all New Mexico residents have access to dependable power; and

     WHEREAS, participation in regional energy markets has been shown to lower electricity costs for consumers by enabling utilities to share generation resources, optimize energy dispatch across multiple states and reduce the need for costly, redundant generation and reserves, thereby delivering economic benefits directly to utility customers; and

     WHEREAS, full regional integration through participation in organized wholesale markets, such as regional transmission organizations, independent system operators or voluntary energy markets, offer substantial benefits by reducing system costs, promoting competition and providing transparent price signals that encourage efficient investment and protect ratepayers while also supporting the long-term sustainability of the electric grid; and

     WHEREAS, regional coordination among utilities within organized wholesale markets plays a critical role in advancing renewable energy integration by allowing wind, solar, hydroelectric and other clean resources to flow freely across state lines, minimizing energy curtailment, reducing carbon emissions and ensuring that New Mexico can meet its statutory decarbonization and renewable energy portfolio goals; and

     WHEREAS, market coordination further advances New Mexico's energy transition roadmap goals by strengthening grid reliability and resilience through coordinating operations among utilities, providing real-time situational energy supply and demand and enabling mutual support among utilities during extreme weather events, emergencies or supply disruptions; and

     WHEREAS, participation in regional market structures supports transparent and competitive electricity pricing, which fosters innovation, increases accountability and promotes fairness in the wholesale energy market, ultimately benefiting consumers through lower costs and improved service quality; and

     WHEREAS, a regional transmission organization, independent system operator or voluntary energy market helps to coordinate transmission planning, allowing for strategic infrastructure investment, cost sharing and efficient development of transmission projects needed to deliver renewable energy from rural areas to population centers, further enhancing both reliability and access; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico has a strong interest in maintaining a leadership role in shaping the evolution of regional energy markets in the western United States to ensure that market rules reflect the state's values of sustainability, equity and affordability while providing utility service that serve communities; and

     WHEREAS, allowing New Mexico's transmission utilities to participate in voluntary energy markets provides an important transitional step toward eventual full market integration, giving utilities and regulators the opportunity to gain operational experience, build trust in regional collaboration and provide New Mexico residents with more reliable and cost-effective electricity; and

     WHEREAS, such participation does not preclude future participation in an organized wholesale market and is intended as an interim mechanism to advance regional coordination while protecting the public interest and ensuring continued progress toward statewide energy goals; and

     WHEREAS, ensuring participation in voluntary energy markets, subject to public regulation commission oversight, helps verify that it provides net benefits to New Mexico's ratepayers, supports the state's energy and reliability goals and does not impede progress toward full market integration while maintaining transparency and accountability;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico senate support New Mexico utilities participating in voluntary energy markets as a matter of both local and statewide concern to advance regional coordination, improve reliability and affordability of electricity service, provide New Mexico residents with dependable access to power, support the state's energy transition and strengthen oversight by the public regulation commission; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the governor, the public regulation commission and the energy, minerals and natural resources department.

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