Winter Weather | Gas and electricity affected by weather | New Mexico

Latest on the crisis from around New Mexico

Updated: Saturday, 12 Feb 2011, 3:35 PM MST
Published : Thursday, 03 Feb 2011, 11:02 AM MST

NEW MEXICO (KRQE) - Gas and electric companies across New Mexico are encountering issues this week due to the extreme cold and increased demand for heat. If you have questions, call New Mexico Gas Company at 1-888-664-2726.

Below are news releases, statements and updates related to the energy emergency:

The state is assisting the communities of Ruidoso, Cloudcroft and Timberon with water restoration efforts in municipal pipelines that were impacted by last week’s blast of arctic air that caused a massive natural gas outage. Personnel from the Department of Homeland Security, the New Mexico National Guard, State Forestry and local fire, police, water utility, planning and zoning are continuing work this weekend to restore services to residents and businesses in the affected communities.

RUIDOSO-30 members of the National Guard Engineering Company from Roswell are providing valuable and needed assistance to local officials. As of this morning 2 of the zones in the upper canyon have been restored and work on zones 3 and 4 is underway. There are 1900 homes still without water.

TIMBERON-Water mains are up and there are only 2 customers without water. The water utility is working on this.

CLOUDCROFT-All water mains and service to water meters has been restored.

BONITA PIPELINE-The pipeline that carries water from Bonita Lake to Alamogordo has been impacted and efforts are underway to restore service.

The New Mexico Environment Department has issued a precautionary boil water advisory for all communities impacted by the outage. Boil water for 5 minutes before drinking, cooking and washing dishes. Drink bottled water if possible.
U.S. Department of Agriculture-Rural Development; Contact: Terry Brunner, State Director; Phone: 505-761-4950; Email: terry.brunner@nm.usda.gov.
USDA-Rural Development has a home loan and grant program to help offset the cost of home repairs, including heating and water systems. The program is available to very low-income residents who own and occupy a home in need of repairs. Rural Development also has resources available to support water systems, such as municipal systems and mutual domestic water associations, in communities of 10,000 or less. These water systems can apply for USDA's regular loans and grants or Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants if they have current environmental and engineering documents. Communities with populations less than 20,000 can also apply for USDA loans and grants to repair community infrastructure damaged by the storm.

USDA-Farm Service Agency; Contact: Salomon Ramirez, State Director; Phone: 505-761-4900; Toll-Free 800-410-2067; Email: salomon.ramirez@nm.usda.gov.
USDA’s Farm Service Agency has resources available through its Livestock Indemnity Program to assist livestock producers who lost livestock as a result of the storms.

U.S. Housing and Urban Development; Contact: Frank Padilla; Phone: 505-346-7271.
Housing and Urban Development offers assistance to public entities to administer housing assistance programs and community development block grants. HUD also announced today a $200,000 grant for Northern New Mexico public bodies to assist with home repairs.

Small Business Administration; Contact: John Woosley, District Director; Phone: 505-248-8225. Small Business Administration can provide counseling and assistance to small businesses affected by the storm and seeking information – including loans, bonds and other financial assistance.

New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority; Contact: Joseph Montoya, Deputy Director of Programs; Phone: 505-843-6880. The Mortgage Finance Authority can provide a range of resources to residents affected by the storm.The homeowner rehabilitation program provides assistance to low-income homeowners who lack the resources to make necessary repairs to their homes. Assistance can be used for reimbursement of costs for rehabilitation, which includes the following: applicable codes, standards or ordinances, rehabilitation standards, essential improvements, energy-related improvements, lead-based paint hazard reduction, accessibility for disabled persons, repair or replacement of major housing systems, incipient repairs and general property improvements of a non-luxury nature, site improvements and utility connections.

FEMA to start assessing the damage - FEMA will begin assessing damage from the New Mexico gas crisis starting on Friday, Feb. 11. The FEMA team will see if the impact is bad enough to be eligible for federal aid. If the damage to public infrastructure and individual homes exceeds $2.5 million, the president could declare a federal disaster, which wuold free up federal funds.

Gov. Martinez signs executive order - Governor Susana Martinez signed an executive order freezing $750,000 in state emergency funds. It will be used to cover up state and local responses to the natural gas outage.

Gas outages in Taos

update

Kit Carson Electric in Taos update - An electric outage in the La Loma/Valverde areas, including some classrooms at Enos Garcia Elementary School, will occur today at 3 p.m., due to a system upgrade. This outage should last approximate 30-minutes, affecting an estimated 100 service locations. Kit Carson Electric indicates they need to be prepared for the added loads that have occurred due to the natural gas outage. KCEC Collections have been suspended this week. No meters will be disconnected.

Mayor Richard J. Berry commits more resources to Northern New Mexico - Fourteen Albuquerque firefighters joined restoration efforts today to help turn on natural gas to thousands of Espanola residents. The firefighters joined 44 Albuquerque police officers who arrived in Espanola Monday evening and worked through the night to help restore gas service which has been out for more than a week. The 58 Albuquerque public safety employees were requested by Governor Susana Martinez. “We are committed to helping our neighbors to the north,” Mayor Berry said. “We are more than happy to help the Governor with whatever resources the state needs.” AFD’s Incident Support Team arrived in Espanola at 6:30 a.m. and were briefed by the New Mexico National Guard. The firefighters will be working throughout the day to restore natural gas. “Our firefighters have answered the Governor’s call and we are more than happy to help,” Fire Chief James Breen said. “We will work until the job is done.” APD’s Emergency Response Team worked throughout the night to help restore gas service. The officers were instructed to work around the clock and will be in Espanola until service is restored.

Resolve to be ready for more winter weather - After weathering recent winter storms, people in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico are encouraged to prepare now for another round of snow and ice. The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Region 6 office is continuing to work with all of those states to help them recover from the last round of storms and get ready for the upcoming inclement weather. At the request of state officials, FEMA has pre-positioned some supplies and located liaison officers in Oklahoma, Arkansas and New Mexico to help with emergency response coordination and other needs. "We will continue to be proactive, making sure to support our state partners," said FEMA Region 6 Administrator Tony Russell. "We also urge you to get ready - have a plan, put together an emergency kit and stay informed by listening to your local officials for instructions and updated emergency information." Tools and resources are available online to help you prepare for, respond to and recover from any type of disaster. Visit their website or the Spanish language site.

New Mexico Gas Company will hold a press conference Tuesday, February 8 at 10 a.m. at New Mexico Gas Company’s business center at 7120 Wyoming Blvd NE, Suite 20. The office is located at the northeast corner of Wyoming and Harper, at the eastern end of the Del Norte Shopping Center.

Governor Susana Martinez announced that she is immediately sending additional National Guard troops and police officers to the communities of Taos and Espanola to expedite the process of restoring natural gas and that the crews will work throughout the night in both communities. The breakdown of additional personnel ordered to the area by Martinez is as follows: 300 National Guard soldiers and airmen, in addition to the 56 currently deployed, 44 Albuquerque Police Department Emergency Response Unit Members, 15 State Police officers Additionally, firefighters from the Albuquerque Fire Department are on stand-by for deployment tomorrow morning, if necessary

Taos: 26 percent of customers restored

Espanola: 38 percent of customers restored

There are more than 550 people working to restore service. “Under federal pipeline safety rules, only a gas-company trained and qualified person is authorized to turn on a gas meter,” said CEO of

Town of Taos Youth & Family Center will have hot water for their locker room showers for the public by 3 p.m. today, Monday, 2/7/11. They'll stay open today through 7 p.m. Regular hours tomorrow, Tuesday, 2/8/11, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Be sure and bring your own soap, shampoo, towels, etc. The usual $2 pool fee, including locker room access, has been waived by the Town through the end of our natural gas outage situation. http://taosyouth.org/.
New Mexico Gas Co. Customer Service:575-758-4222 - "Blue Tag" Number if You're Missed by Relighting Crews and need to Reschedule Phone: 888-NM-GAS-CO (888-664-2726) Customer Service Email:customerservice@nmgco.com Customer Service Fax: 505-697-4494

During this natural gas outage, the unified Taos Emergency Command Center numbers are 575-751-8123 and -8125. However, the relighting process is in the hands of New Mexico Gas Co., so please call them directly on any deployment issues. The Red Cross Taos Shelter will continue to be open at Gusdorf and Camino de Santiago until the current service disruption is completely over. Should you require transportation to this shelter, including ADA compliant service, please call the above numbers. The EOC team will make sure you get to a warm, secure location.

New Mexico Gas Company will hold a press conference Monday, February 6 at 2:30 p.m. at New Mexico Gas Company’s business center at 7120 Wyoming Blvd NE, Suite 20. The office is located at the northeast corner of Wyoming and Harper, at the eastern end of the Del Norte Shopping Center,

Dr. O'Neill reports that UNM Taos will be closed tomorrow, in addition to Taos Municipal Schools and local Charter Schools.

Town of Taos Town Hall will be closed tomorrow, but Department Directors will be in with core staff to make sure things are in order for Tuesday reopening to the public. Of course Taos Ski Valley and Chile Line Transportation will be running, along with other essential services.

Taos County Offices will be open tomorrow with a two hour delay.

Kit Carson Electric reports all areas are back up with electric power and rebalanced -- including the La Loma/Ranchitos areas. Successful natural gas meter relighting reports are being returned from the La Loma area too.
Note: When your natural gas meter/regular heat source is relit, PLEASE shut down and unplug all your electric heaters. We want to keep the electric loads as low as possible as activity moves forward.
Reminder: As you can leave your structure, EOC unified command, with the help of the Raton Fire Dept., Town of Taos and Taos County, has provided a public shower facility at the Town of Taos Public yard on Dea Lane. Hours of operation are today -- be there before 6 p.m. Please bring your own personal bath supplies/towels with you.
Electricity: Kit Carson Electric is still having issues with certain areas. They are continuing to try and rebalance the system (changing the supply from certain sources to others with less demand). Again, even in areas with electricity "up", you may experience "flickering." They're working on it. As usual, PLEASE shut off any electric devices/appliances that are not absolutely essential.
New Mexico Gas Company reports that the natural gas supply lines continue be be stable and additional disruptions to natural gas service are not expected.
New Mexico Gas Company (NMGCO) reports that gas service has been restored to the Southern New Mexico communities of Silver City and La Luz. Work continues in other communities across the state. Re-lighting has begun in Taos and surrounding communities with re-lighting expected to begin in Espanola, and on the Santa Clara, Okway Owingeh and San Ildefonso Pueblos on Sunday.
NMGCO continues to re-light communities in Southern New Mexico, including Alamogordo and Tularosa. Central New Mexico communities of Bernalillo and Placitas are also currently being re-lit. Updates on the status of restoration service is available from NMGCO online .
Relighting: Taos natural gas relighting will start this morning at approximately 9 a.m., Sunday, 2/6/11, according to field crew management on the ground here in the Taos area.All structures with natural gas service have been turned off. Between now and 9 a.m., "purging" of the system will occur - noise/a gas smell is part of this process. You need not be concerned about it -- it is part of the process.Taos' residential and business community has been divided into 16 quadrants (approximately equal in customer numbers, but geographically different in size due to this). The meter relighting field crews will be addressing each section simultaneously in a nonstop blitz.
Someone needs to be present in each structure for the relighting process. If someone is not there, crews

Approximately 255 field crew members (NM Gas Co. staff, trained/qualified volunteers, and 25 National Guard personnel) will be in Taos today working together to expedite activity. National Guard representatives will be arriving at structures approximately 20 minutes prior to meter relighting field crews to make sure someone is home, make them aware of the arriving crews, make sure dogs are contained so crews can easily access meters, etc.
T his relighting will undoubtedly go through Sunday night into Monday, 2/7/11. New Mexico Gas Co. indicates that if your meter has not been relit by sundown Sunday, please leave on available porch lights to assist crews. And please, also know that crews will be working throughout the night -- they may have to knock and wake up occupants throughout the night to expedite the relighting process. The crews do need to come into structures and relight at least one operable natural gas appliance after turning meters back on in order to assure safety.
Taos Shelter: Last night, the Taos Shelter housed 11 individuals.
Electricity: Systems have been balanced/stabilized by Kit Carson Electric.
Showers for the Public: The Emergency Operations Center in Taos has secured shower facilities with the support of Taos County, the Town of Taos, and the Raton Fire Department and their portable facility. Between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. today, Sunday, 2/6/11, members of the public may come to the Town of Taos Public Works yard, 1033 Dea Lane (near Walmart) for a hot shower. You need to bring your own soap, shampoo, towel, etc. -- and may need to wait, so dress appropriately.
Licensed plumbers in the Taos area who would like to volunteer to assist New Mexico Gas Co. field crews are invited to an intake meeting at the Hampton Inn on Paseo del Pueblo Sur, tonight, Saturday, 2/5/11, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Attendees must bring their Driver's License, original Social Security card or Passport, and their plumber's license.
New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez and New Mexico Gas Co.'s corporate leadership have deployed 25 National Guards personnel to come to Taos and assist with smoothing the way for field crews involved in completion of meter turn off, and eventual purging and then meter relighting. They will be preceding field crews by 15 or 20 minutes, knocking on doors and assisting homeowners with any required preparation for the crews.
Reminder: DO NOT relight your own natural gas system when this becomes possible.
New Mexico Gas Company will hold a press conference Sunday, February 6 at 10:00 a.m. at New Mexico Gas Company’s business center at 7120 Wyoming Blvd NE, Suite 20. The office is located at the northeast corner of Wyoming and Harper, at the eastern end of the Del Norte Shopping Center, A current status of gas restoration efforts will be discussed.
At this time, the natural gas supply lines are stable and New Mexico Gas Company does not anticipate additional disruptions to natural gas service for our customers across New Mexico.
New Mexico Gas Company (NMGCO) reports the purging of the gas line running up to Red River, NM has been completed and they are in the process of re-lighting in that area. Preparations continue for re-lighting in Taos and surrounding communities with re-lighting expected to begin in Espanola on Sunday.
NMGCO continues to re-light communities in Southern New Mexico, including Alamogordo, Tularosa, and La Luz. Central New Mexico communities of Bernalillo and Placitas are also being re-lit.
Natural Gas Outage Information: Numbers to call for shelter, transportation to shelter, and other incident information 751-8123 and -8125.
The Taos Shelter is the new Emergency Command Center near the corner of Gusdorf and Caminos de Santiago (it is behind the Quality Inn and the Masonic Temple). If you're going there tonight, remember to bring your medications, blankets, pillow, and dress comfortably/warmly. NOTE: The Red Cross is managing this shelter - and doing a super job. There is no general food distribution for the public at this location (this message is for rumor control). The food that is there is only for those staying in the shelter.
Sporadic electric power outages have occured in the Taos area this afternoon: Kit Carson is "on it" - if your power shuts off, unplug your electric heaters and other items to help Kit Carson Electric get the power back on (less of a surge when they power it back up). They report that all the incidents are manageable, but that this will help. Remember - peak electric usage hours are between 5 and 8 pm, so try to also help during this timeframe with

Relighting of natural gas meters: The meter relighting in Red River is progressing and is approximatey 30% complete, with critical locations relit; Questa Fire Station is up and relit and "critical service relighting" is underway in that community; Arroyo Hondo and Arroyo Seco is nearing completion of turn offs - purging is to happen later today; Taos is still undergoing the turn off of all meters -- this must happen before purging, repressuring and eventual relighting. Note: purging lines results in some noise/gas smell -- don't be alarmed by that -- it is part of "purging"). Your Taos Emergency Command Center will let you know about future actions as SOON as we officially get the information.
The water system in the City of Sunland Park, NM cannot handle the current demand. All City of Sunland Park residence are advised to limit their use. Residents are also advised to boil their water for at least 30 minutes before use. City officials have contacted the Office of Emergency Management to request potable water. A command center has been set up at the municipal complex fire station located at 1000 McNutt Rd. in Sunland Park.
At this time, the natural gas supply lines are stable and New Mexico Gas Company does not anticipate additional disruptions to natural gas service for our customers across New Mexico
New Mexico Gas Company (NMGCO) reports the purging of the gas line running up to Red River, NM has been completed and they are in the process of re-lighting in that area.
NMGCO has sent out a call for liscened plumbers and pipefitters in New Mexico to call 505-798-3317 to be hired to help with the re-lighting process in affected communities.
Qualified, trained NMGCO service technicians with photo IDs and licensed plumbers from around the state will be helping to restore service to affected areas in an orderly manner. A blue tag will be left to schedule a relight if you aren't home when technicians visit. If a home is not occupied when technicians arrive, they will leave a blue tag on the door that has explicit instructions on how the homeowner can reschedule a service call. The number to call on the blue tag is 1-888-664-2726. If a homeowner would like to verify the identity of a technician before letting them enter, they can call 1-888-664-2726 and speak with a NMGCO representative who can confirm the technician’s identity.
El Paso Electric reports they do not expect to have any blackout periods today in New Mexico.
The Questa area is schedule to have their natural gas meters "relit" starting at 12 noon today, Saturday, 2/5/11. "Critical" safety/health locations are first. Questa constituents/business owners need to be at their structures to help expedite this procedure.
Taos meter turn off: Please be advised that the firefighter volunteers who have been trained to be out assisting with meter turn off (and eventual natural gas turn on), may not know where your gas meter is located. If you have covered it/or if it is screened by anything that might hinder direct access, please clear it...and if you see crews searching for it, help them readily find it so the process moves forward efficiently. Also, if you have dogs in the area where your meter is located, please make sure they are not hindering crews getting to the meter.
Relighting continues in Red River. Questa: NM Gas Co. is in Questa. They need to do some prep work which will take approximately 2-3 hours and then they will begin to relight the homes. Taos: Turn off continues.
Line Purging: When areas are ready for this to occur, please know that "natural gas line purging" is somewhat noisy, and is accompanied a "gas smell". Just know that this is part of the process and don't be alarmed by it -- it means relighting activity is closer.
Note about eateries that have communicated they're open in Taos (send new info in and we'll include it in future emails if you're open and not listed here): Eske's Brew Pub, Tiwa Deli, Taos Mountain Casino, Taos Pueblo, Wired Cafe, Stakeout, Alley Cantina ,Gutiz, Graham's, Bent St. Deli, Leonel's Tamales, Great Noodles, McDonald's, Coffee Cats, John Dunn Shops
Kiva fireplaces: Taos Volunteer Fire Department reports a couple of incidents last night from prolonged, very hot wood burning in older kiva fireplaces. All involved are fine, and residents stayed in their homes. Please be careful when doing prolonged burning of large, hotter fires in these heating sources.
Web sites noted by the Governor for information: www.nmgco.com , www.rld.state.nm.us , www.governor.state.nm.us , www.nm.dhs.em.org
Congressman Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico’s Third District sent a letter to the Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) yesterday requesting that FERC review the cause of the gas outage throughout the state and take any necessary action to prevent a future crisis.
NM Gas Co. is in Red River and

New Mexico Gas Company will hold a press conference Saturday, February 5 at 10:00 a.m. at New Mexico Gas Company’s business center at 7120 Wyoming Blvd NE, Suite 20. The office is located at the northeast corner of Wyoming and Harper, at the eastern end of the Del Norte Shopping Center. A current status of gas restoration efforts will be discussed. Officers of the company will be available for questions and interviews.For more information, contact Monica Hussey, Communications Manager, at (505) 681-5395.
Relighting Update: Taos meters are still being shut off today, Saturday, 2/5/11. An update at 7 a.m. from New Mexico Gas Co. operations representatives is that Taos will not be relit today. Natural gas "relighting" began last night in Red River, resuming this morning at 5:30 a.m. Questa is reported to be next, with "line purging" occurring today.
Qualified field crew staff have been added to by NM Gas Co. -- so the total in the area number approximately 400, including trained fire fighter volunteers.
Line Purging: Town of Taos Police Chief Rick Anglada sent out an update last night about "natural gas line purging" occuring in Hondo and Red River in preparatiaon for the relighting. This is somewhat noisy, and is accompanied in various areas by a "gas smell". Just know that this is part of the process and don't be alarmed by it -- it means relighting activity is closer.
Shelter update: All shelters will remain open and continue to provide services until this situation is completely over. Last night there were 3 individuals in Questa who stayed, 40 in Red River, and 6 in Taos taking advantage of shelter services.
Kiva fireplaces: Taos Volunteer Fire Department reports a couple of incidents last night from prolonged, very hot wood burning in older kiva fireplaces. All involved are fine, and residents stayed in their homes. Please be careful when doing prolonged burning of large, hotter fires in these heating sources.
Three communities declare state of emergency - Taos County, Santa Clara Indian Pueblo, and Taos Pueblo have all officially declared a State of Emergency due to the disruption in natural gas service in Northern New Mexico that occurred on February 3, 2011, causing significant impairment to community members, private property and other public infrastructure challenges in these communities. New Mexico Gas Company’s latest report is that there are approximately 24,500 customers without natural gas. For the most current information on the relight schedule please visit the New Mexico Gas Company’s emergency webpage. National Weather Service reports that the worst of the cold weather has passed. A day to day warming trend will continue through the weekend. There are no significant weather concerns tonight. Isolated snow showers are expected over the northern mountains after midnight. Lows will trend up another 10-20 degrees. The next significant weather disturbance will bring a chance of snow to the northern mountains and northeast on Saturday, with chances of snow increasing and expanding across the east and north Saturday evening into Sunday morning. Snow accumulations generally in the 1 to 3 inch range are predicted at the lower elevations, with up to 6 inches across the higher terrain. more significant storm system is possible during the Tuesday-Wednesday period next week, and the National Weather Service will continue to provide updates in the coming days.
Mayor Swisstack urges Rio Rancho residents to conserve natural gas - Mayor Swisstack is asking the citizens of Rio Rancho to conserve natural gas by lowering thermostats, limiting hot water usage, and keeping animals inside. “We are asking the citizens of Rio Rancho to do our part to conserve natural gas to help everyone throughout the state,” said the Mayor. Early Thursday morning the New Mexico Gas Company announced that, due to rolling blackouts in West Texas and other problems, the delivery of natural gas into New Mexico has been impeded. Thousands of New Mexicans across the State are without gas service. City services and facilities remain open on a regular schedule. The City Hall building is not heated by natural gas. For more information on the service disruptions, visit the New Mexico Gas Company website; click on Emergency Updates.
Santa Clara Pueblo Senior Center providing meals - Officials at Santa Clara Pueblo announced that beginning today at noon they are providing meals until this event is over. They are also reopening their shelter located at Santa Clara Pueblo Senior Center, #2 Kee Street, Santa Clara Pueblo. For

Taos gas outage update - Taos, Questa and Red River: As these areas depend on the progress of purging the main pipeline from Espanola to Red River, crews currently anticipate beginning relights Saturday and working through Sunday.
Red River gas outage - Based on what we know, the NM Gas Company has dispatched additional crews from Albuquerque and is making good progress on the gas shut-off process. Once all gas meters in Red River, Questa, and Taos are shut off they will start re-pressurizing the main gas line, and once that line is re-pressurized they will start re-lighting homes and businesses. There is potential for them to start re-lighting tonight or tomorrow. The NM Gas Company is critically committed to getting us all re-lit. They have enlisted the help of volunteer firefighters to assist them in getting the meters turned off and on in the quickest manor possible. Do not be alarmed if someone not in uniform is accompanying personnel from the NMGC. We will keep you updated on any information we receive about when they may be restoring our gas service. It is important to realize that someone will need to be at your home or business when the gas company comes to re-light your pilots and restore your service. It is a good idea to start planning who will be there to meet them (it could be day or night). It is still crucial to conserve as much electricity as possible. The Town of Red River will not turn on the street lights until gas service is restored. PLEASE turn off any Christmas lights you have on your building (home and business). We did have a power outage last night, but thanks to Kit Carson Electric's proactive measures power was restored in 15-20 minutes. Also, we did have a structure fire this morning as a result of alternative/additional methods of heating to avoid frozen pipes. The Red River Fire Dept (along with Wheeler Peak, Moreno Valley, Questa, Taos, and Eagle Nest Fire Departments) responded to a three-alarm fire at the Golden Eagle Lodge this morning. All of the affected units were unoccupied and no one was hurt. Please use caution when protecting your home or business during this outage. We will have another public meeting at 2 pm at the conference center.
Santa Fe Water Division phone line open for reporting emergencies- Customers are advised that they can report frozen pipes or other utility-related emergencies only at the Public Utilities Customer Service line at (505) 955-4333. A small crew is answering calls, dispatching crews, and updating work orders. Crews are dispatched to work with residents to determine the location of frozen areas inside water pipes. Depending on the location, the resident is referred to a plumber or city crews work to thaw and restore the service to the property. Customers are encouraged to call on Monday, Feb. 7 should they have questions about their utility bill.
Espanola animal shelter evacuates 96 cats and dogs since there's no heat - The front desk received a call from the City of Espanola to inform them that gas was out in the entire area and water was soon to follow. Immediately the shelter staff sprang into action to evacuate all of the cats and dogs in the adoption kennels. Within four hours, 96 animals had found a safe place to stay in foster care for 48 hours with members of the community from as far away as White Rock, El Dorado and Dixon. The shelter is currently empty except for animals on quarantine, and those are all being housed in the part of the building heated by electric, rather than gas. At 8pm Thursday, staff received news that they would be receiving 14 cats on Friday morning from someone who was unable to care for them, due to family issues unrelated to the cold and strays continued to arrive throughout the day. “Our problem of sheltering our pets from the cold has been solved,” says Lisa Gipe, Shelter Manager, “But our biggest challenge is yet to come. We have animals coming in, but we don’t have a chance to get the current animals out into permanent situations, so this weekend, we are going to need adoptions. Not just want them, but need them, or else there simply won’t be a place for all these animals to come back to once the heat is back up and running.” Espanola Humane is optimistic that the water will be up and running on Saturday and with donated electric and propane heaters, the shelter will at least be warmer for the animals than being outdoors, so, all weekend, adoption fees will be cut in half to encourage people to come forth and offer permanent homes to nearly 100 cats and dogs who will be returning to the facility on Saturday morning.
Roswell city officies close at noon due to energy shortage - The City of Roswell will be closing the offices of non-essential services at noon today in accordance with the request of Governor Susana Martinez, in an effort to decrease the strain on energy supplies due to the interruptions in natural

Trash and recycling in Santa Fe are still picking up trash - Trash and recycling collection crews are continuing to pick up in Santa Fe, but are running behind schedule. Residential trash not collected today, will be collected on Saturday. Residents are asked to leave containers on the curbside through Saturday at 3 p.m. Due to the State of Emergency Closure, Solid Waste Division and other main city telephones will not be answered until Monday.
American Red Cross in New Mexico - Alamogordo has a city-run shelter with cots, blankets and food. A college dorm in Socorro has been evacuated. Socorro is opening a warming shelter for residents. There is a shelter at the Espanola Armory for Espanola residents. In Rio Rancho, they have supported Sandoval County. Currently, there are only four people at the National Guard Armory. There are three shelters open in Taos (one at Living Word Ministries and one at the Taos Dispatch Center). There are many other shelters around the state that are on standby because there are no people there.
Natural gas outage update from Taos NM - (575) 751-8123 is staffed at the emergency command center for this situation. Call if you need help. Red River had 42 individuals sheltered at local lodging establishments; Questa had zero individuals sheltered; Taos had one. However, it is anticipated that greater numbers will result tonight in Questa and Taos. No one knows the potential duration of this outage event, but emergency responders are planning on at least three more days -- through Monday, Feb. 7, 2011. The New Mexico Gas Co. will be out today with field crews in Questa and Taos, checking/reading/and turning off gas meters. This is part of the process required to eventually be able to re-pressurize/re-energize the system once natural gas is again available. Taos Volunteer Fire Department representatives are being trained this morning in order to assist NM Gas staff in this extensive process. Yesterday Taos Mayor Darren Cordova worked with Governor Susana Martinez to enable this expansion of field crews with local experts. It is estimated that there are approximately 10,800 customers affected in the Northern New Mexico area. Yesterday, field crews turned off meters in Red River, and began in Questa. Please do not impede these crews in their task -- the faster they are able to get this job done, the further along we will be toward having service restored. NOTE: Some of these field crews may not be in "uniform" so media - please help constituents know that they are assisting New Mexico Gas and no one should be alarmed at their presence. All is good with water, electricity, gasoline, food: In Taos, all resources are holding up and are being replenished/deliveries occurring. The two Chevron stations are currently waiting for a fuel delivery, but other stations are ready to serve you this morning. Propane resources are plentiful for those heating with propane - Kit Carson Propane is one source, 758-7757. Taos County/Town of Taos staff and law enforcement, plus State Police, and other emergency responders have been monitoring and assisting with making sure such essentials are in place. Later on today, details will be released about a food program specifically for children and seniors who are dependent on local food programs -- many of which are prepared at locations where natural gas is used. Flyers will also be walked around the Taos community to provide additional information for residents at the grassroots level. Remember: Check on neighbors, family, friends -- and consolidate heat resources -- try to gather at a single location and conserve all energy. We want to "go easy" on the electric grid at this point in time. Do NOT use unproperly vented heating sources in your home. These can cause carbon monoxide poisoning. That includes small propane heaters, barbecues, etc. -- DO NOT BRING THESE INDOORS. Only vented, properly inspected wood burning fireplaces/woodstoves should be utilized for warmth outside of electric heaters. Also, candles can be dangerous - monitor these and electric heaters as they can be a potential fire danger.

No major gas service interruptions reported in Albuquerque overnight - Mayor Richard J. Berry and other local officials were briefed early this morning at the city’s Emergency Operations Center on the latest developments relating to the natural gas situation in Albuquerque and throughout the state. The most recent information received from the New Mexico Gas Company indicates that the company’s pressure is holding in the Albuquerque area, but some cities around the state were still without gas service. Mayor Berry once again thanked the community for pitching in to conserve natural gas at their homes and businesses. “We asked the community to pitch in by taking steps to conserve natural gas and they answered the call. We are extremely grateful for their efforts which we believe have helped significantly to keep the system in Albuquerque steady overnight. We ask that they continue to keep their thermostats dialed down and limit hot water use throughout the day and until the situation has been resolved,” said Mayor Berry. There are areas of the state still without gas. The city is prepared to assist displaced New Mexicans at Highland High School, which remains the main location for sheltering through Sunday, on a stand by basis. Residents in affected areas who need shelter should contact 311 or 505-768-2000 to confirm sheltering information. The city Emergency Operations Center will stay activated on a limited basis. All city and county community centers will be open during normal business hours for regularly scheduled activities. Many city employees worked extended hours overnight. Yesterday Water Authority officials received more than 400 reports of water leaks or lack of water due to frozen pipes. People experiencing water emergencies should call the Water Authority at 842-9287 (press option 1). If they cannot get through, they can report the water problems to 311. Citizens are advised to call a plumber for water problems of a non-emergency nature. The Albuquerque Police Department COAST Team members were out on the streets of Albuquerque again last night offering assistance and transportation to shelter for those who needed it.
City of Las Cruces offices closed Feb. 4 - At the request of El Paso Electric (EPE), City of Las Cruces offices and facilities are closed today, Friday, February 4th to help reduce stress on EPE's power system. However, field operations will be maintained to include police and fire service, and street operations. Street crews will continue to salt and sand icy patches and repair road damage caused by harsh weather conditions. The decision was made to remain closed an additional day to help reduce EPE's electrical load. Other closures for Friday, Feb. 4th include municipal court and Juvenile Citation Program offices (JCP). JCP classes are canceled. RoadRUNNER Transit and Dial-a-Ride resumed normal operations at 6:30 a.m. today. Commercial and residential trash pick-up service resumed today on a slightly delayed basis. Residential customers whose regular trash pick-up days are Wednesday and Thursday are asked to leave their trash containers out and they will be serviced as soon as possible. Trash pick-ups will continue through Saturday and possibly Sunday to make up for lost days. Las Cruces Utilities continues to ask customers to limit natural gas use to reduce strain on the system.
Santa Fe Trails Bus service suspended Feb. 4 - Santa Fe Trails buses will not be in operation today, February 4th, due to the State of Emergency. Service will be suspended on all routes. No local connections will be provided for Rail Runner passengers. Santa Fe Ride operations will continue to serve the elderly and disabled. For more information call (505) 955-2001.
University of New Mexico closed until Monday - In order to help make more power available to areas outside of the metro area, the University of New Mexico Albuquerque campus will be closed through Sunday, Feb. 6. UNM employees in previously designated critical areas including Campus Police and the Physical Plant will be expected to report to work as usual. All activities including classes at the Health Sciences Center are canceled through Sunday. Only those faculty, staff and students engaged in direct patient care should plan on reporting to work. Additionally, all scheduled administrative meetings are canceled.
Taos and Bernalillo shelter update s - Taos County and the town of Bernalillo have released details of shelters open in the town of Taos and other communities.
Schools closing - Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Alamogordo and likely other public schools won't open Friday. For the latest check the School Closings at KRQE.com
Albuquerque opens shelters - Mayor Richard J. Berry has opened four shelters in city and East Mountain community centers and listed items people should bring if they need a place warm to stay.
PNM not planning outages - Someone claiming to be with

Water utility backlog of frozen pipes - The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Authority says it has a backlog of over 400 frozen pipe calls, five to six times the normal volume. They give the highest priority for service to calls where pipes have burst and homes or businesses are being flooded. In those cases they send someone to turn off the water.
Albuquerque hotels offer discounts - Almost immediately after Albuquerque Mayor Richard J. Berry asked for help from the community, hotels around the city responded by offering discounted rates during this cold weather spell. These are just several around the city that have offered discounts:
- Plaza Inn $39
- Fairfield Inn $49
- Hampton Inn $69
- Marriott Pyramid $69
- La Qunita Suites Midtown $69
- Holiday Inn Express on 12th Street $69
Santa Fe city offices close - In response to the State of Emergency declared by Governor Martinez, city offices close at 4:00 today. At this time, this is a precautionary measure for the City to help preserve natural gas and electric service for all New Mexico residents. This closure affects all non-essential employees.
Statewide emergency declared - Gov. Susana Martinez announced today that she has signed two executive erders in response to extreme cold weather and natural gas outages across the state. The governor declared a State of Emergency in New Mexico and has also suspended regulations on the number of hours that propane suppliers may drive in order to more rapidly move liquid petroleum gas into and across the state.
Taos County gas emergency - Taos County Emergency Operations Center will announce official Red Cross Shelter locations throughout the greater Taos area very soon. If you or anyone you know may need assistance – now or overnight – please have them call the following, central information phone numbers for the public. This includes potentially needed transportation to shelter sites: (575)751-8123, (575) 751-8125
Bureau of Land Mangement lowers thermostats, closes - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has closed four offices in New Mexico in response to Governor Susana Martinez’s state of emergency announcement about weather-related natural gas outages in the state. The closures, effective at 2 p.m. today, affects BLM offices in Taos, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and Socorro. The offices will reopen on Monday, February 7.
Statement from Rep. Ben Ray Luján - "I have alerted FEMA, the White House, and a number of federal agencies of the seriousness of this emergency and urged them to take any action at their disposal to help New Mexicans get through this. I have also reached out to the National Nuclear Security Administration and Los Alamos National Laboratory to ask them to limit the use of natural gas at LANL until we can restore heat to all our communities."
State offices close - As part of the state response to the weather-related energy emergency, Gov. Susana Martinez at noon ordered non-essential state personnel to close up shop for the day.
Natural Gas Emergency - Gas Companny of New Mexico: Due to rolling black outs in West Texas and other problems, the delivery of natural gas into New Mexico has been impeded. States in the southwest are experiencing similar issues. The New Mexico Gas Company pipeline system is intact and crews are working to minimize the impact of this temporary situation. Customers have experienced an interruption of service in several communities. These include: Tularosa, La Luz, Espanola, Taos, Questa, Red River, the town of Bernalillo, Placitas, Santa Clara Pueblo, Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, Alamogordo, Silver City, and San Ildefonso Pueblo. NM Gas Co. has been working with National, County and State emergency services and officials, as well as local assistance agencies. Visit their website for a list of communities affected, a list of local emergency shelters, safety information and other up-to-date-information. The website will be continually updated as new information becomes available.
Officials call for electricity, gas conservation - El Paso Electric Company has notified the Doña Ana County Emergency Operations Center that supply levels remain low throughout the region, and consumers are strongly encouraged to conserve power wherever possible. A decision will be made later today about whether El Paso Electric will recommend that large-scale power users close again on Friday. Although planned, rolling blackouts were suspended just after 11 p.m. last night, much colder temperatures expected overnight may result in additional brief blackouts in targeted areas. Residents also are being asked to turn back thermostats to conserve on natural gas. Area lines are steadily losing pressure, which could result

PNM lifts appeal for voluntary cutbacks in power use in Ruidoso and Alamogordo - PNM has restored service to the second transmission line serving the Alamogordo and Ruidoso area and has lifted its appeal to customers in those communities to cut back on all nonessential electricity use. The appeal was issued around 6:30 a.m. today. One of two transmission lines serving the area experienced problems early this morning and went out of service, causing the second line to become overloaded. The second line typically can serve the area but the extreme cold has caused usage to be much higher than normal. To prevent significant, lengthy outages, PNM implemented rolling outages this morning to reduce load on the line, affecting several customers in the Ruidoso and Alamogordo areas. With the second line repaired, the rolling outages have ended, and power is restored. Although the problem has been resolved, PNM reminds customers throughout its system that it is always good practice in extreme weather to cut back on usage where possible. This includes turning off lights in rooms that aren’t in use. “We appreciate our customers’ patience this morning and their help in reducing the load on the line that serves them,” said Gary Stone, PNM vice president, New Mexico Operations.
New Mexico Gas Company works to preserve gas service - Disruption in natural gas service has been reported by New Mexico Gas Company (NMG) customers in all parts of the state. NMG is working to preserve natural gas service to as many customers as possible in Santa Fe. Residents are asked to limit natural gas usage by turning their thermostats down a degree or two. Also, dress in layers and if possible, have an alternative source of heat such as electric heaters, wood or pellet stoves and electric blankets. Do not use unvented heaters, grills, propane or kerosene heaters or camp stoves inside homes or enclosed spaces as these can result in carbon monoxide poisoning. Also, check on your neighbors and friends, especially the elderly, sick or homebound. The City and County emergency managers are prepared to open a Warming Center should gas service to Santa Fe residents be disrupted.
City of Las Cruces experiencing low natural gas pressure - Las Cruces Utilities is reporting that natural gas pressure is low throughout the city due to heavy demand, and are asking residents to limit use of natural gas to minimum needs only. Customers who lose or experience problems with service may call (505) 526-0500.
National gas shortage results in gas shut off to Taos, Questa, Red River areas - The Town of Taos has just been informed by the New Mexico Gas Company that natural gas supplies to Taos, Questa and Red River will be interrupted starting immediately. There is currently no time frame for re-supply, although representatives from NMGC will keep all posted. There are updates online, and the customer service contact number, 1-888-664-2726. This shortage and service cut off is due to national transcontinental pipeline supplies to many places in the U.S., including west Texas, Albuquerque, etc. Vice President Tommy Dolan at New Mexico Gas Company in Albuquerque said it is estimated that 10,800 service locations will be impacted in the Taos area, Questa and Red River areas. The Town of Taos, Taos County and other emergency response entities are preparing for locations within the area to come to, should the shut off be sustained for a prolonged period of time. Senator Bingaman’s office, the National Guard and other responders have been notified by the Town of Taos as to the situation. They also advised people to stay off their cell phones for non-emergency calls, be careful using electric heaters, to not use candles as heat or light and to not leave their homes unless it is absolutely necessary.
City of Albuquerque responding to notification of gas interruptions and outages - Early this morning, officials with the City of Albuquerque were notified by the Gas Company of New Mexico of possible interruptions of gas service. The problems

Xcel Energy asks customers to curb electricity use in Texas and New Mexico - Xcel Energy is asking electric customers in Texas and New Mexico to join their neighbors across the region in conserving energy as regional utility systems struggle to meet high demand with diminished resources. The utility company is not planning rotating outages in the area at this time, but is cautioning customers that conditions both inside and outside the area could impact Xcel Energy’s ability to serve customers. Natural gas supplies to area power plants have been curtailed to lower volumes because of natural gas pipeline supply and delivery issues. Additionally, high electrical loads within the Xcel Energy service area are straining the company’s distribution system. Xcel Energy currently anticipates having enough resources to meet demand based on the generating and gas supply situation at noon Thursday. However, if natural gas supplies to regional power plants are interrupted further, or if the company loses any generating capacity because of extremely cold weather, the company may be unable to meet customer demand. Customers can help prevent power emergencies by: Turning off unneeded lights, computers and appliances, setting the thermostat to 68 degrees or lower at home. “We take our responsibility to supply energy to our customers very seriously,” said Riley Hill, president of Southwestern Public Service Company, an Xcel Energy company. “Our customers have helped us through similar situations in the past, and we look to them today to help us maintain the integrity of their electricity system. Turning off all lights and appliances that are not essential to health and safety will help us meet everyone’s energy needs without service interruptions." If you experience an outage, please call us at 1-800-895-1999.
Increase in frozen pipes reported across the city - Due to severe temperatures, the Water Division is receiving reports of frozen pipes across the city. Residents whose water pipes are frozen are asked to call the main number at the Sangre de Cristo Water Division at (505) 955-4333. The Water Division will send a crew to determine if the frozen pipes are on city property or on the resident’s property. If the freeze is on the city side, crews will either change out the water meter or use specialized equipment to thaw the pipes. If the freeze is on the residents’ side, the resident will be advised to use a blow dryer to thaw out the pipes and never use a torch or open flame of any kind to thaw the pipes. An open flame will melt plastic pipes and create a fire danger. Frigid temperatures are expected to last through Friday. Residents are reminded to dress in layers and to bring pets and plants inside. Also, in order to prevent frozen pipes, leave a slow drip from the cold-water faucet that is furthest away from the water meter.
American Red Cross in New Mexico assisting with cold weather disaster - ARCNM is supporting a city-run shelter in Alamogordo, NM with cots, blankets and basic food items. ARCNM is on standby to support a city-run shelter in Tularosa, NM. That shelter currently has a population of zero. ARCNM and its Disaster Action Team volunteers are on standby to open a warming shelter in Rio Rancho, NM. The Emergency Manager is Taos County has requested an ARCNM presence at the county Emergency Operations Center in response to mass gas outages in the area. Shelter locations are currently being identified, and Red Cross volunteers have been notified. ARCNM has been put on standby for possible shelter operations throughout Albuquerque. A Red Cross liaison has been sent to the city’s Emergency

State emergency operations center activates to level three due to power and gas outages across New Mexico - Cabinet Secretary Designate Michael S. Duvall has ordered the State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to activate to a Level 3 operations status due to the effects of the extreme cold in communities across New Mexico. Various utility companies are unable to keep up with the high demand for increased power and fuel due to sub-zero temperatures. Activation to this level means additional Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management staff will operate the EOC and coordinate any local requests for assistance. The EOC will also stay in communication with emergency managers in the state in order to anticipate additional problems that may be created by the extremely cold temperatures.

Gas companies are asking residents to lower their usage today.

Statewide gas outage updates

Latest on the crisis from around New Mexico

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