UTILITY CERTIFICATE OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE

HB 303 requires New Mexico public utilities to obtain a certificate from the Public Regulation Commission before providing new service or extending systems, with limited exceptions for existing service areas or routine business expansions. It specifically mandates that energy storage projects be approved if they reduce costs, cut fossil fuel use during peak demand, improve grid reliability with renewables, and lower emissions. The bill sets strict deadlines for commission decisions (six months for energy storage projects, nine months otherwise), with automatic approval if deadlines are missed. The law takes immediate effect as an emergency measure.