ALAMOGORDO, N.M. — Frustrated by months of unexplained spikes in their electric bills, Alamogordo-area residents have formed a new community group aimed at documenting the problem, comparing notes, and pressing state officials for answers.
The group, organized in part by local resident Rebekah Stewart-Thorp, was created to bring together people affected by soaring electric bills and to gather their information in one place. By pooling bills and billing histories on a large scale, organizers hope to identify trends, discrepancies, and any evidence of wrongdoing that individual customers might never spot on their own.
“With the numbers of people affected and the gathering of information, we hope to get the eyes and ears of someone with experience — whether that’s leading groups like ours, working with regulatory entities, or understanding the laws that govern utility companies — so they can provide assistance to our community,” Stewart-Thorp said.
Pushing for Action from State Officials
Beyond gathering data, the group has a second mission: motivating and helping as many residents as possible to write and call the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (PRC) and the New Mexico Department of Justice to demand action from governing officials.
The group’s most ambitious goal is to bring the regulators to Alamogordo in person. Organizers are asking at least one PRC commissioner — Chair Gabriel Aguilera, Patrick O’Connell, or Greg Nibert — to come to the community and hold a public forum.
At such a forum, residents want PRC commissioners to:
1. Look at residents’ actual bills
2. Explain the PRC’s role in relationship to utility companies
3. Explain the laws regarding estimated billing
4. Tell residents whether they can read their own meters — and why or why not
5. Explain if disconnections can happen and how customers can protect themselves
6. Explain the recent PRC reversal of a stock purchase as it relates to the PNM acquisition case
The forum would also be open to any other concerns members of the public wish to raise.
“A forum like this would be a tremendous step in the right direction,” Stewart-Thorp said.
Strength in Numbers
To compel the commissioners to come, the group has set a target of 1,000 constituents formally requesting the forum. Organizers believe that a request backed by a thousand voices will be difficult for state officials to ignore.
Even beyond the forum, the group intends to remain active for as long as high electric bills continue to affect the community — serving as a united hub to disseminate information, gather new reports, and share ideas among neighbors.
How to Get Involved
Residents affected by high electric bills are encouraged to join the group, share copies of their bills and billing histories, and add their names to the call for a public forum. The group can be found on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CPtUpAznJ/
For those ready to take action now, the group encourages writing to or calling the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission and the New Mexico Department of Justice to request answers and a public forum in Alamogordo.
As Stewart-Thorp puts it, quoting Dolly Parton: “I expected success, but I was braced for failure.”
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