Morning Word: PNM Defends Projections

PNM Defends Numbers

The Public Service Company of New Mexico and an out-of-state consultant working for the New Mexico attorney general’s office are defending numbers the investor-owned utility provided to the Public Regulation Commission

. The problem: PNM has submitted a different set of numbers in its power replacement plan. Executives at PNM are upset that a renewable energy group is questioning the firm’s integrity, but the president of New Energy Economy is defending her organization’s analysis, telling Steve Terrell, "If the Attorney General actually looked at this settlement himself, he would see that it is designed to keep New Mexico in the energy dark ages for years to come while much of the rest of the country is moving on from fossil fuels to solar and wind, and saving ratepayers millions."

PED Expert Doesn't Waiver on Teacher Evaluations

A witness for the Public Education Department suggests that if a judge halts the new teacher evaluation program, New Mexico

for certain federal No Child Left Behind Act mandates.

Long Live Miniatures

So it turns out you really can fight City Hall after all, and liquor store owners will keep ringing up sales of miniature booze bottles. Yesterday, SFR reports, a state district judge ruled

City councilors had adopted the ordinance hoping to cut down on the amount of litter in the City Different.

Fewer Deportations

While the number of immigrants being tossed out of the country has increased during President Barack Obama’s administration, the number of

fell last year. Still, the share of criminal immigrants deported in relation to overall immigrants deported rose slightly, from 56 percent to 59 percent.

As expected, voter

(just over 8 percent) in Albuquerque’s municipal elections yesterday. Three incumbent city councilors won re-election. With almost 70 percent of the vote, Progressive Pat Davis easily won his campaign to replace retiring City Council President Rey Garduño. 

Duke City voters also

and city streets, and they gave city councilors a say on who gets hired to be police and fire chiefs in the future.

Political

for not showing up to the polls. Former city councilor Grey Payne claims voters don’t believe leaders are interested in solving problems. Still, Heath Haussamen says something has to be done to

.

Gov. Susana Martinez says tourism in New Mexico accounts for about

in the Land of Enchantment. Santa Fe County saw $781 million in visitor spending in 2014. The record tourism numbers also support over 89,000 jobs.

It’s sure to be a risky adventure, but an Albuquerque

to teach women there how to play the sport. Robbie Bova, who both played and coached water polo with the US national program, tells KOB she wants women in the war-torn country to “find peace through sport.” Now Bova just needs to figure out a way to design a swimsuit that won’t get the 100 women or so who have expressed an interesting in playing from getting into trouble for exposing too much skin.

Santa Fe Reporter