DPU quarterly report: project timelines, Foxtail Flats schedule uncertain, LANL duct-bank issue delays switch-station activation

Department of Public Utilities staff on March 19 presented the second-quarter FY25 report and updated the board on several operational projects and service issues.

Key project updates: staff said the Los Alamos switch station will not be fully commissioned before June if final approvals and duct-bank removal are not complete. During site work crews found a concrete‑encased asbestos duct bank in East Hemez Road conduit; staff said they are negotiating a LANL‑approved disposal method and a contractor to perform asbestos disposal and the conduit cut/intercept work. A DPU distribution staff member said once LANL finalizes disposal approvals, excavation and cable pulling to tie the station to town could proceed and the station could be on the schedule for activation in June.

Foxtail Flats (the county’s planned solar-plus-battery project) remains in development. Ben (DPU staff) said the Bureau of Indian Affairs review milestone was anticipated in the third quarter of FY25 but staff had not received a confirmed status update; he characterized the schedule as still subject to federal review and Department of Energy/federal directions that affected timing. Bridal and Shelton reiterated that a mix of fixed-price contracts and hour-ahead market purchases will continue to shape near-term power costs.

Landfill solar and distributed resources: staff told the board that the landfill solar field is not yet generating power and is excluded from monthly solar production figures presented to the board. The department listed 31 pending distributed-generation interconnections totaling roughly 3.69 MW in proposed capacity; staff said most pending projects are for systems near 5 kW and that final permitted sizes may change as customers apply and qualify.

Service reliability and outages: staff highlighted that system reliability metrics (SAIDI) for the DPU distribution system remained under 60 minutes on the local metric used by the utility (excluding upstream outages) for a sustained period. The board discussed the difference between internal SAIDI and a broader metric that would include upstream outages; staff said they could provide both measures for comparison.

Internet/fiber outage response: the board discussed recent high-profile internet outages caused by a contractor mislocating and cutting a fiber line. James Allred (DPU staff) said the county has demanded that the fiber owner (Lumen) provide an on-site locator and monitor for ongoing work. “They are committed to us that they're gonna bring somebody on-site from their subcontractor who does the locating,” James reported. Staff said a locator had been on-site the day of the meeting and that they would keep pressing for full-time on-site locating services to prevent repeat outages.

Other capital/operations notes: staff said the Trinity Drive utility upgrades would be bid as a combined road/utility contract with planned construction largely in spring and summer 2026; the landfill/solar field remains off-line; and AMI opt-outs stand at about 140 customers. Philo Shelton reiterated that resource mixes change with contract expirations and renewals and that the utility will make hour-ahead purchases when hydro or other internal resources are limited.

Ending: staff also highlighted awards, accreditations, and public events in the quarter and reminded the board that many of the capital projects and staffing changes discussed have been in process for months. Several board members asked for additional detail on upstream-outage treatment in reliability metrics and requested updates on LANL approvals and Foxtail Flats timing as they become available.