As we reported last week, Hearing Examiner Ashley Schannauer has asked Avangrid to submit testimony explaining whether the company meets the "Fitness to Serve" criteria defined in proposed legislation in Maine. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Seth Berry and recommended as an alternative to the Avangrid merger in his Verified Statement for NEE, would establish a publicly owned utility company in Maine.
His proposed legislation deems any utility that meets two of the following three criteria "unfit to serve":
1. Customer Satisfaction: Repeatedly been rated in the lowest decile of utilities of a similar size for customer satisfaction on a reputable national survey of utility business or retail customers;
2. Reliability: Repeatedly reported reliability, with or without major event days, in the lowest decile of utilities of a similar size in the country; and
3. Cost: Repeatedly charged its customers residential delivery rates in the highest decile among utilities of a similar size in the country.
Avangrid meets all three.
Not only is the proposed merger agreement between PNM and Avangrid dishonest, deficient and illegal, Avangrid has proven itself unfit to serve. If you can’t meet customer satisfaction, reliability and cost tests, then what benefit do you bring to New Mexico?
We’re paying attention to what happened in Maine, Connecticut and New York because they are a cautionary tale about what could and likely would happen here in New Mexico if the proposed merger is allowed to proceed. As if these deficiencies are not enough, the company is also being investigated for undermining community and rooftop solar connections in Maine!
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