By RITA DANIELS
6:56 PM
MON MAY 4, 2015
PNM's contract guaranteeing a steady supply of coal for the San Juan Generating Station expires at the end of 2015.
Credit Will Thomas
New Mexico’s largest utility company promised to have a completed coal-supply agreement for their power plant in place by last Friday but PNM missed its own deadline.
The coal-supply agreement for the San Juan Generating Station in northwestern New Mexico is one of the linchpins for the plant’s future energy production. The utility wants to shut down two units there and replace that power with nuclear, natural gas, some solar and more coal.
However, the coal-supply agreement that PNM gave regulators last week is non-binding and hasn’t actually been signed, yet. The utility says the agreement will definitely be finalized by late summer, but in the meantime they’re hoping that regulators will approve their plan for the San Juan Generating Station now.
A hearing officer rejected the company’s plan last month in part because there was no coal-supply agreement in place. Regulators could make a final ruling on PNM’s proposal as early as next week.
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