Electricity Reliability and New Mexico’s Energy Transition

New Mexico’s Renewable mandate is “only” at 20% currently (thanks to Bill Richardson). We STILL have a fully-functional coal power plant. And, yet PNM can’t handle the electricity demand RIGHT NOW!

Now, thanks to the MLG’s (and the Legislature’s) Energy Transition Act and the PRC’s recent decision (which PNM says will negatively impact reliability) they’re going 100% “renewable.” Good luck with that!  

As a previous system operator I can tell you that PNM at times relies on the CAISO market to bail them out during periods of high demand. The problem is that when Cali is short that option goes away. Adding more renewable energy that is non-dispatchable will only make this worse.

— Dax Contreras (@daxcontreras) August 20, 2020