Status: All residential customers in the
State are allowed to choose natural gas suppliers, but almost no one is
participating. |
Overview: New Mexico has allowed unbundled
gas service for all consumers since the late 1980s. However, almost all
residential customers still purchase their natural 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, 16 residential customers and
2,676 small commercial customers of the State's largest natural gas utility, New Mexico Gas Company (NMGC), were purchasing gas from eight non-LDC suppliers in
December 2009. Marketers must first complete a "request form" for an on-system transportation contract with NMGC, pay a fee of $720, provide a New Mexico tax identification number, and submit appropriate financial records to NMGC's risk management department for approval.
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EIA State Data: In 2008, New Mexico had 556,905 residential and 49,235 commercial customers. They consumed approximately 34 and 25 billion cubic feet of natural gas, respectively. The average prices residential and commercial customers paid for natural gas from local distribution companies were $12.23 and $10.39 per thousand cubic feet, respectively. |
Eligibility and Participation in Retail Choice
Programs: |
Estimated Eligibility and Participation by Customer Class, December 2009
Customer Type |
2008 Customer Total |
Eligible 2009 |
Participating
2009 |
Total |
Percent
of 2008 Customer Total |
Total |
Percent
of Eligible |
Percent
of 2008 Customer Total |
Residential |
556,905 |
556,905 |
100 |
16 |
(*) |
(*) |
Commercial** |
49,235 |
49,235 |
100 |
2,676 |
5.4 |
5.4 |
Total |
606,140 |
606,140 |
100 |
2,692 |
0.4 |
0.4 |
(*) = Less than 0.05 percent.
**Commercial participation numbers include only small-volume commercial customers.
Sources: 2008 Customer Total: Energy Information Administration, Natural Gas Annual
2008 (March 2010). Eligibility and Participation: New Mexico Public Regulation
Commission (March 2010). | |
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