As predicted, PNM and Avangrid filed a joint motion with the newly appointed PRC to ask the NM Supreme Court to vacate the pending Supreme Court appeal that was filed to challenge the merger rejection ruling by the former, elected, PRC. They asked for the case to be remanded back down to be decided by the newly appointed PRC.
They also asked for an expedited decision from the Court, with a response due in 5 days, and requested that the Court mandate a new decision on the merger from the PRC by April 12th, 8 days before their merger contract is set to expire.
PNM and Avangrid are asking for an expedited procedure because they do not want the public scrutiny that would result from an investigation into the lengthy record of Avangrid's misconduct since the merger was rejected and the material changes that have occurred - their joint decision to withhold a promised rate credit from customers upon closure of the San Juan Generating Station. The public interest cannot be served when substantive issues are ignored for the sole purpose of meeting PNM and Avangrid's preferred deadline.
Here are some reports of Avangrid misadventures from just the last month:
The expedited response time for parties, for the court to decide and for the Commission to determine the merits by April 12, 2023 is designed to appease Wall St. investors and artificially inflate the stocks of PNM/Avangrid, not to address the public interest.
New Energy Economy has objected to the motion for expedited response and will endeavor to introduce the trove of new evidence against Avangrid's fitness to serve. We hope that the newly appointed PRC members take seriously their oath to protect the public interest and uphold our due process rights.