Thanks to a victorious Motion to Compel, PNM was ordered to grant New Energy Economy and our experts access to the San Juan Coal Plant. Westemoreland also granted us access to inspect the San Juan Coal mine where coal ash is disposed.
For the visit we were joined by our experts, including two former PNM staff, turned whistleblowers and NEE experts, as well as members and representatives of the impacted community. The purpose of our inspection is to take soil, water, and air quality samples in order to evaluate possible contamination from coal ash as we prepare arguments for more comprehensive assessment, cleanup, reparations, and decommissioning.
FOLLOW THE ABANDONMENT CASE
& MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR DECEMBER 9TH
The San Juan Generating Station Abandonment Case begins proceedings the week of December 9th - starting with a public hearing on December 9th. Please plan to join stakeholders from around the state to raise your concerns about corporate accountability and the need for ratepayer protections, comprehensive cleanup, and justice for impacted communities.
To catch-up with the case so far - read some amazing filings made in the last two weeks:
ON ETA APPLICABILITY READ:
NEW ENERGY ECONOMY'S BRIEF including Expert Testimony by Steve M. Fetter HERE.
Norman Norvelle worked for Public Service Company of New Mexico (“PNM”) from April 1977- November 1988 at the San Juan Generating Station, as a Fuel & Water Analyst, Engineering Tech III, Plant Chemist, Lab Foreman, Lab Tech Support Supervisor and ending with Plant Engineering Chemist III. Read Norvelle’s Direct Testimony HERE.
Sterling Grogan, an ecologist and senior environmental manager who worked at the San Juan mine from 1984-1988 who describes the environmental conditions at San Juan Generating Station and the San Juan mine. Read Grogan’s Direct Testimony HERE.
Charlotte Grubb is an Ecological Economist with a focus on fossil fuel transitions and regulatory capture within monopoly utilities through investigative research and writing. Charlotte describes how New Mexico’s Energy Transition Act is alone among 23 other laws in how it turns the PRC into an administrative clerk and allows PNM to call the shots. Read Grubb's Direct Testimony HERE.
“The Commission could not sit on its hands while PNM pressed forward with unauthorized abandonment of [San Juan] in contravention of the abandonment statute and with no regard for the public interest…” Read the PRCC STAFF'S Brief HERE.
Citizens for Fair Rates and the Environment (CFRA) on ETA Applicability: CFRE raised salient issues on constitutionality of the ETA and questions why it seeks to give PNM the right to confiscate from New Mexico pocketbooks without any due process.Read CFRA Brief HERE.
The New Mexico Attorney General [NMAG] submitted powerful testimony against PNM's claims for 100% recovery of stranded assets, “The most striking feature of the Company’s [PNM] proposal is that it assumes that ratepayers should be responsible for all risks associated with environmental compliance, including the early closure of the SJGS Units 1 and 4. The Company’s proposal does not reflect any cost to shareholders. Under the Company’s proposal, shareholders recover 100% of their investment in the SJGS Units 1 and 4, and they will recover this investment sooner than they otherwise would have. In addition, shareholders will continue to earn a return on, and of, new investment in PNM. The largest flaw in the Company’s proposal is that there is no recognition of the fact that shareholders should bear some of the responsibility for addressing environmental compliance, including the early closure of the 4 SJGS Units 1 and 4.”Read the NMAG Direct Testimony HERE