ALBUQUERQUE (AP) – The state attorney general’s office has come out against a proposal by New Mexico’s largest electric utility to charge customers with new solar power systems a monthly fee to connect to the grid.
The office filed a motion earlier this week in support of dismissing Public Service Co. of New Mexico’s request.
Attorney General Hector Balderas also has asked state regulators to investigate the effects of distributed generation on the utility system.
Distributed generation refers to solar panels or wind turbines on homes and businesses that generate electricity and are connected to the grid.
PNM wants solar customers pay what the utility says is their fair share for the fixed costs of maintaining the electric grid. The fee could range from about $21 to $36 per month depending on the size of the system.
