Yesterday New Energy Economy filed a Motion urging the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (NMPRC) to reopen the record in the pending case involving the proposed acquisition of New Mexico Gas Company by affiliates of Bernhard Capital Partners (BCP), citing newly emerged evidence of catastrophic billing failures at Delta Utilities, a gas utility acquired by BCP just six months ago. Customers of Delta Utilities in Louisiana have reported shocking increases in gas bills—ra

As we close out this milestone year—our 20th anniversary—we are reflecting on our mission, what we have accomplished, what remains ahead, and the extraordinary moment we are living through. The climate crisis is accelerating, and the fossil fuel industry is responding not with restraint, but with unprecedented expansion - doubling down on oil, gas, a suite of dangerous “advanced energy” schemes that threaten our water, health, and democratic rights, and threats of war in Vene

Today the whole point of our Motion for Interlocutory Appeal was ignored when PRC Commissioners focused exclusively on whether the violations we managed to uncover through independent research were damning or relevant to their decision about Bernhard Capital Partners, and not on the much more important question: What do we NOT KNOW ABOUT because the Hearing Examiner's failed to grant our Motion to Compel and require Bernhard Capital Partners to respond to our discovery questi

Yesterday we filed our Brief in Chief in the Bernhard Capital Partners buyout case, delivering our final legal arguments recommending against the deal, and laying out the requirements the PRC should impose should they decide to do so. But today the public showed up to make their own arguments, and they did not disappoint! The people called out the dangers of private equity, the impact of likely rate increases on seniors and the working poor, and the absurdity of allowing th

Yesterday we filed an  Interlocutory Appeal directly to the PRC after the Hearing Examiners in the Bernhard Capital Partners case failed to respond to our Emergency Motion seeking to remedy their defective rulings during the hearing in November and the PRC has already issued an order asking other parties to respond. This interlocutory appeal matters because the Hearing Examiners’ evidentiary rulings undermine the very foundation of the Commission’s constitutional and statuto

On Friday New Energy Economy took the extraordinary step of filing an Emergency Motion for Leave to Seek Interlocutory Appeal in the Bernhard Capital Partners case. Our Motion was filed after Hearing Examiners in the case ruled repeatedly and defectively to refuse to allow discovery and evidence of BCP’s history and operations at BCP-owned companies into the record, to require one of our expert witnesses to testify as a lay person despite being a lawyer for 15 years and spe

First, reporting back from the BCP buyout of New Mexico Gas Company hearing, we wanted to share this important point made by PRC Commissioner Aguilera to BCP Executive Jeffrey Baudier: a gas utility is not like a Burger King. It has captive customers that do not have a choice about where they can purchase their gas, and therefore those ratepayers have more at stake than burger joint customers. That is why the comparative difference between the $200M acquisition premium being

Today the Bernhard Capital Partner (BCP) acquisition hearing begins. You can listen in on the proceedings via Youtube here at 9:00AM, starting with the cross examination of Jeffrey Baudier, the erstwhile CEO of the new venture, famed for his leadership at the failed Petra Nova carbon capture plant that resulted in very little carbon captured and the loss of more than 300 million in public funds. He will be crossed first by Peter Gould representing NM AREA, and then Mariel wi

What happens when an inexperienced and profit driven gas company cuts costs and fails to properly maintain its facilities and operations? On Tuesday dozens of New Mexicans showed up to the PRC's public comment hearing about Bernhard Capital Partner's bid to buy New Mexico Gas Company and asked that very important question. How can a private equity company focused exclusively on profit, and with just three months experience running a gas utility, be trusted to provide safe an

The New Mexico Supreme Court's decision  last week to allow the PRC's Final order in Case No. 22-00270-UT to stand sends all regulated...

Yesterday, in response to Bernhard Capital Partner's previously reported refusal to respond to interrogatories related to violations and...

Last week, after requesting an extension, Bernhard Capital Partners (BCP), the private equity firm trying to take over NM Gas Company,...

As we reported briefly last week, a coalition of fracking waste reuse proponents hypocritically calling themselves the Water Access...

As we reported last week, New Energy Economy joined the New Mexico Department of Justice, and other advocates in a motion to dismiss or...

Last week  Blackstone Infrastructure announced its plan to acquire TXNM, PNM's parent company for $11.5 billion . Blackstone (not to be...

Today we filed testimony opposing Bernhard Capital Partner (BCP)'s proposed acquisition of NM Gas Company. In his testimony our expert,...

First and foremost, we are asking you to join people of goodwill across the country who are mobilizing to stand up against the...

Another big company has its sights on an essential New Mexico utility, this time NM Gas Company. On October 28th, 2024 Bernhard Capital...