NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – The state’s largest electric utility is bracing for the winds from an upcoming storm on Thursday. PNM said power outages are possible Thursday with gusts expected to reach up to 70 miles an hour in some areas. The East Mountains, Santa Fe, and Las Vegas are the most at risk.
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The winds could also lead to longer outages and PNM said it won’t be safe to inspect or repair power lines until daybreak on Friday. The utility may even be forced to shut off power to keep areas safe. “It’s important to point out that PNM has not made a decision to implement public safety power shutoffs at this time, but we are mobilizing crews and resources in case it becomes necessary,” said Mike Mertz, Vice President of Operations, TXNM Energy. PNM said it will monitor a number of factors to determine if ‘public safety power shutoffs’ are necessary.
“It’s not just one threshold. We take into consideration the fuel content in the area, the moisture that’s in the soil or the fuel…and then windspeed,” said a PNM spokesperson. If the PSPS happens, PNM expects about 11,000 people in the East Mountains, 35,000 people in Santa Fe and the Cochiti Pueblo, and 2,300 people in Las Vegas to be impacted.
PNM said it will stay in contact with communities if those public safety shutoffs go into effect. Those decisions would likely be made Thursday morning…