Status: All residential customers in the State are allowed to choose natural gas suppliers, but no one is participating.
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Overview: New Mexico has allowed unbundled gas service for all consumers since the late 1980s. However, all residential customers still purchase their gas from local distribution companies (LDCs), in large part because marketers have been unable to compete with the LDCs' prices. According to the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, essentially no residential customers and about 1,770 small commercial customers purchased gas from non-LDC suppliers in 2005. A customer choice pilot program by the Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) was approved by the Commission in August 1997. The program, "EnergyWise Options" and "Gas Choice Program," offered PNM's 400,000 customers a choice of gas suppliers with deliveries starting in December 1997. Even after the Public Regulation Commission encouraged marketers to advertise, customers still did not switch suppliers. Enron did have several hundred customers sign up for service, but the numbers were so small that Enron discontinued the project by September 1998.
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EIA State Data: In 2004, New Mexico had 505,973 residential and 45,564 commercial customers. They consumed 34 and 25 billion cubic feet of natural gas, respectively. The average prices paid for natural gas purchased from local distribution companies by residential and commercial customers were $9.57 and $7.94 per thousand cubic feet, respectively.
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Eligibility/Participation in Retail Choice Programs:
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Status as of December 2005: Number of Customers
Customer Type |
Total
2004 |
Eligible in
2005 |
Participating
in 2005 |
Total |
Percent of
2004 Total |
Total |
Percent of
Eligible |
Percent of
2004 Total |
Residential |
505,973 |
505,973 |
100 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Commercial |
45,564 |
45,564 |
100 |
1,766 |
3.9 |
3.9 |
Total |
551,537 |
551,537 |
100 |
1,766 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
Sources: Total
2004: Energy Information Administration,
Natural Gas Annual
2004 (December 2005).
Participation: New Mexico Public Regulation
Commission. |
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