Adding "Public" to the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission

After last week's PNM rate-increase hearing at the PRC, I have had enough of the under-funded commission and the way they limit public participation. My letter requesting that the PRC Chairman provide documented procedures for public participation is below the fold, and a PDF version of the letter is posted here.

Until I get some answers, you can call the PRC Chairman, Jason Marks, at 505-827-8015 to discuss the issues I raise in the letter, or you can email him at Jason.Marks@state.nm.us

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May 21, 2008

Chairman Jason Marks
New Mexico Public Regulation Commission
1120 Paseo De Peralta, P.O. Box 1269
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504

RE: Facilitating Public Participation in the Regulatory Process

Dear Chairman Marks:

Some hearings at the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission have enormous implications for ratepayers and the public, yet the processes for public participation in such cases are difficult to understand and cumbersome to follow. After attending last week’s rehearing of PNM’s 15-month rate case, in which the public was neither present nor represented, I am respectfully requesting that you provide clear, written procedures by which the public can:

a.    Join the mailing list for meeting notices and agendas
b.    Listen live to hearings via the internet
c.    Participate in hearings via the phone bridge
d.    Join the service list for individual cases and for a class of cases (i.e. all electricity cases)
e.    Become a party to a case, and put filings into the case record
f.    Browse case files online and in person
g.    Perform text-searches of case records

I have been in contact with Paul Carbajal, your Public Information Officer, regarding this matter. Paul has been very willing to help, but there are limitations on what he can do based on the following shortcomings of your system:

a.    The live internet broadcast system has been disabled due to insufficient bandwidth
b.    The phone-bridge system is limited to 15 phone lines
c.    The microphones in the hearing room do not pick up audio from the gallery
d.    The online document records system works with only one browser (Internet Explorer)
e.    The document records system does not appear to have text-search capability
f.    The process for filing a document is too expensive (electronic filings are not accepted)
g.    The hearing room is small, often overheated, and difficult to access by elderly persons

If you could comment on each of these items in your response, I would be grateful. Thank you very much for your consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Mark Sardella, PE
Chairman, Local Energy

CC: Commissioners Lujan, King, Sloan, Jones; Rep. Ben Lujan, Senator John Grubesic