2020 New Mexico Statutes
Chapter 62 - Electric, Gas and Water Utilities
Article 9 - The Utility Franchise
Section 62-9-6 - Certificates; application; issuance.
Before any certificate may be issued under Sections 62-9-1 through 62-9-6 New Mexico Statutes Annotated, 1978 Compilation, a certified copy of its articles of incorporation or charter, if the applicant be a corporation, shall be on file in the office of the commission. Every applicant for a certificate shall give such reasonable notice of its application as the commission may require and shall file in the office of the commission such evidence as shall be required by the commission to show that such applicant has received the consent and franchise from the municipality wherein construction and operation is proposed. The commission shall have power, after hearing, to issue said certificate, as prayed for, or to refuse to issue the same, or to issue it for the construction or operation of a portion only of the contemplated facility, line, plant or system, or extension thereof, or for the partial exercise only of said rights or privilege, and may attach to the exercise of the rights granted by said certificates such terms and conditions in harmony with the Public Utility Act [Chapter 62, Articles 1 to 6 and 8 to 13 NMSA 1978], as amended, as in its judgment the public convenience and necessity may require. Except as otherwise provided in Section 62-9-2 New Mexico Statutes Annotated, 1978 Compilation, in determining whether any certificate shall issue as prayed for, the commission shall give due regard to public convenience and necessity including, but not limited to, any reasonable service agreement between the applicant and another utility and unnecessary duplication and economic waste. Whenever a public utility is engaged or is about to engage in construction or operation without having secured a certificate of public convenience and necessity as required by the provisions of the Public Utility Act, as amended, any interested person may file a complaint with the commission. The commission may, with or without notice, make its order requiring the public utility complained of to cease and desist from such construction or operation until the commission makes and files its decision on said complaint or until the further order of the commission. The commission may after hearing, after reasonable notice, make such order and prescribe such terms and conditions in harmony with the Public Utility Act, as amended, as are just and reasonable.
History: 1953 Comp., § 68-7-4, enacted by Laws 1967, ch. 96, § 8.
ANNOTATIONSRepeals and reenactments. — Laws 1967, ch. 96, § 8, repealed 68-7-4, 1953 Comp., relating to application for and issuance or denial of certificates, and enacted a new section.
Compiler's notes. — Sections 62-9-1 to 62-9-7 of the Public Utility Act are still effective as the repeal of Chapter 62, Article 6 by Laws 1998, Chapter 108, Section 82, effective July 1, 2003 Chapter 108, Section 82 was repealed prior to taking effect by Chapter 23, Section 1, Laws 2003. Although Laws 2003, Chapter 336, Section 8, amended Laws 1998, Chapter 82, as amended, an amendment of a repealed section is ineffective. See Quintana v. N.M. Dep't of Corrs., 100 N.M. 224, 668 P.2d 1101 (1983). Laws 2003, Chapter 416, Section 5 also repealed Laws 1998, Chapter 108, Section 82, as amended, a second time, however, that repeal is of no effect as the section had previously been repealed by Chapter 23, Section 1, Laws 2003.
Provision of non-utility services. — Because electric utility's Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN) contained no specific restrictions regarding non-utility use, the commission incorrectly determined that the utility violated the CCN when it provided or agreed to provide non-utility services to paper company. Plains Elec. Generation & Transmission Coop. v. N.M. Pub. Util. Comm'n, 1998-NMSC-038, 126 N.M. 152, 967 P.2d 827.
