By Hannah Grover
El Paso Electric plans to replace two aging units at separate natural gas generating stations with renewable energy sources.
On Thursday, the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission discussed EPE’s plans to end its use of the Rio Grande Generating Station Unit 7 and Newman Power Plant Unit 1. While the commission did not take action to approve or deny the plan, Commission Chairman Pat O’Connell said the application will likely be approved.
The utility says these two units are approaching 70 years old — or, as EPE points out, they were operational before astronauts had landed on the moon — and each unit would require $20 million upgrades to remain in service.
While commissioners signalled support for ending the use of the aging units, PRC staff has expressed concerns that EPE has not identified what resources it will use to replace the electricity currently provided by those two units. EPE has said it plans to replace the generation capacity with solar and battery storage.
EPE is proposing that the units will close on Jan. 1 of next year, but that will only happen if the utility can demonstrate it will have adequate resources to meet customer demands and maintain a reliable system.
Despite concerns from staff, the hearing examiner, Christopher Ryan, recommended the commission approve the request. Ryan cited environmental benefits as one of the reasons to approve the closure of the two natural gas units. He noted in his recommended decision that neither unit is equipped with pollution controls.
The units are both located in a region that has experienced high levels of ozone, which can be caused by the combustion of fossil fuels such as natural gas. Ozone can create respiratory challenges and worsen asthma.
The abandonment of the two units also comes as New Mexico’s utilities work to phase out fossil fuels as required by the Energy Transition Act.