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Santa Fe County Board backs strong letter to PRC after residents describe multi‑day La Cienega power outages
Summary
After repeated, sometimes multi‑day outages in La Cienega that residents said led to lost food, no water and life‑threatening risks, the board unanimously voted to send a letter asking the state regulator to press PNM for solutions and consider community remedies.
Residents of La Cienega told the Santa Fe County Board of County Commissioners on Monday that repeated power outages this summer have left families without water and medicine, and sometimes without the ability to operate medical equipment.
"We've had outages up to 3 days at a time," said a resident from La Cienega, who asked the commission to press the utility and its regulator. "There's a lot of elder people…people could die. It's that serious." The remark echoed through several speakers who said outages had lasted many hours and, in some cases, multiple days.
Commissioner Camilla Bustamante introduced a letter to the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (PRC) asking the regulator to investigate PNM's response and require corrective action and proof of a plan. Bustamante said she and staff have met with PNM and pushed for data on outage dates, and that residents have been offered explanations but not solutions. "There is no redundancy for La Cienega or La Cieneguilla. There's one line," she said, urging regulator involvement and exploring options such as microgrids or virtual power plants.
Commissioners discussed options including community meetings with PNM, filing claims for spoiled food and medication, and whether reparations or rate reductions were warranted. Commissioner Lisa Kakari Stone suggested pursuing reimbursement for spoiled medications and food, and asked staff to include claims information in outreach materials.
Commissioner Adam Johnson supported sending the letter and holding community meetings so PNM can explain causes and proposed fixes directly to residents. Commissioner Hank Hughes described a prior local infrastructure upgrade in Eldorado that produced duplicate service and ended outages there, saying the same solution should be feasible for La Cienega.
The board voted unanimously to approve forwarding the letter to the PRC and to pursue additional community outreach and follow-up. The motion was made by Commissioner Bustamante and seconded by Commissioner Lisa Kakari Stone. No roll‑call breakdown was recorded in the transcript; the chair recorded the motion as adopted with all voting "aye."
Looking ahead, Bustamante asked staff to include a claims form link and contact information in publicly available materials so residents can seek compensation where applicable. The commission also asked staff to continue exploring technical fixes such as microgrids and to request PNM provide outage schedules and remediation timelines to the county and PRC.
