Senate Bill 489 has something for almost everyone, except the utility customers that will need to fund this monumental transition to renewable energy. The bill has a bailout for PNM to ensure that its shareholders don’t have to face the negative financial consequences of the plan.
The bill certainly has something for supporters of wind and solar energy. The renewable portfolio standard increases will ensure that more wind and solar facilities are built.
What Senate Bill 489 lacks is customer protection from rapidly rising electric rates like those that have been seen in California under a similar plan. If renewables are as cost effective as the supporters of this bill have been saying, adding a rate cap to protect customers shouldn’t be too much to ask for.
Tell your legislators that this bill needs to protect customers by adding a rate cap. The purpose of Senate Bill 489 shouldn’t be to enrich utility shareholders at the expense of utility customers during the transition to additional renewable energy.