By Kevin Robinson-Avila/Albuquerque Journal
A state Public Regulation Commission decision Tuesday requiring PNM to bill Facebook for nearly half the cost of a new, $85 million transmission line could reverberate well beyond New Mexico’s borders.
State officials and economic development professionals say the decision could be seen as reneging on previous PRC commitments, causing a “chilling effect” on efforts to recruit more large companies to New Mexico like Facebook, which is building a massive data center in Los Lunas.
Facebook says the decision could affect its long-term operations in the state, raising costs and throwing into doubt Public Service Company of New Mexico’s ability to provide 100 percent renewable energy to run the facility.