County receives update on feasibility of a publicly controlled electric utility

County staff and HDR Engineering briefed the commission on the utility feasibility study they are conducting to screen options for a locally controlled electric utility. HDR project manager Kate Bartelt said the study uses five lenses — affordability, reliability, resilience, sustainability and governance — and recommended carrying three governance models forward in parallel: a county-owned utility, a city–county joint powers agreement (JPA), and a public power authority or special district.

HDR's preliminary legal screening found plausible legal pathways for a class A county like Santa Fe but cautioned that service territory acquisition, transmission, interconnection and wholesale power arrangements require deeper analysis. Bartelt described a charrette held Sept. 1 that prioritized affordability and resilience, and she said the consultant will present scenario evaluations and a final report later this year (HDR projected November). Commissioners debated whether to seek advisory letters from the PRC or Attorney General and discussed early engagement with potential partners including the City of Santa Fe, PNM and regional utilities; county legal staff advised that the PRC typically does not issue advisory opinions on municipal or county utility authority.