46th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2003

REQUESTING THE PUBLIC REGULATION COMMISSION TO ADOPT RULES PROVIDING FOR NET METERING.

WHEREAS, the United States is at war with international terrorists partly as a result of our nation's dependence on foreign oil; and

WHEREAS, our dependence on foreign sources for our energy puts us at the mercy of uncontrollable political events in foreign lands; and

WHEREAS, electric power generation exacts a high cost on our environment and on natural ecosystems throughout the world; and

WHEREAS, tremendously detrimental economic consequences may result from the environmental effects of power generation derived from fossil fuel; and

WHEREAS, solar, wind and other renewable energy options are now available and economically feasible; and

WHEREAS, net metering allows utility customers to generate their own electricity through alternative energy generation systems and to sell the excess energy produced back to their utility providers; and

WHEREAS, in states with net metering, when a utility customer produces excess energy during a billing period, the utility provider credits the customer for any provider-generated unused electricity; and

WHEREAS, the utility customer can "bank" that extra electricity for twelve months, using that amount at a later date, and the utility provider pays the customer for any remaining unused credit; and

WHEREAS, the New Mexico public regulation commission adopted a net-metering rule in September 1999 that provides for buyback of electric power up to ten kilowatts;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the public regulation commission be requested to amend the net-metering rule to increase the amount of energy that shall be repurchased by a utility provider from a utility customer from ten kilowatts to one hundred kilowatts; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to members of the public regulation commission.