Utilities in New Mexico 

Electricity

Electricity in Santa Teresa is provided by El Paso Electric Company and regulated by the New Mexico Public Utility Commission. The Santa Teresa Business Center is served from the Santa Teresa Substation. The peak load to date is eight megawatts. The substation is currently equipped to accommodate a 28-megawatt load. The substation is also designed for the addition of a second transformer that will increase the available capacity to 60 Megawatts. The General Service Rate 04 for commercial use (up to 300 kW) includes:
• Customer service charge of $26.22 per month
• Demand charge of $0.1087 per kilowatt of demand
• Energy charge of $0.04434 per kilowatt-hour times the billing demand for the initial 150 hours (decreasing to $0.02606 for the next 150 hours and $0.00581 for any additional hours)
• Fixed fuel charge of $0.01949

The General Service Rate 09 for large power service (over 300 kW) includes:
• Customer service charge of $100.00 per month
• Demand charge of $19.30 per kilowatt of demand
• Energy charge of $0.01000 per kilowatt-hour

El Paso Electric also offers additional energy utilization services and products through its Energy Services Business Unit (ESBU) including:
• Power Quality Products and Services
• Efficient Equipment Retrofits (HVAC, Lighting, Motors, Processors)
• Backup/Standby Generation
• Electrotechnologies to Improve Process/ Cost Performance
• Electrical Facilities Maintenance
• Thermal Energy Storage
• Energy Management Systems
• “Green” Technologies
• Engineering Services
• Comparative Economic Advisory Services
• Innovative Financing Mechanisms for Qualified Projects

Natural Gas

Natural gas service is provided by PNM Gas Services, New Mexico’s largest utility.  PNM’s gas supply is extremely stable and reliable because of many interconnections with several interstate pipelines.  Moreover, PNM’s system is connected to some of the largest reserves of natural gas in the United States. Natural gas quality is high, averaging 96% methane.

The American Gas Association (AGA) ranks PNM’s gas costs in the lower one-half for customers using 100,000 therms per year or more. The ranking shows PNM’s customers in this class pay approximately eight percent below the average industrial bill. The AGA ranks utilities throughout the county by total cost to end-users.

A major expansion of PNM’s capacity in Santa Teresa was completed in the fall of 1998. The completion of the seventeen-mile, twelve-inch steel “Chamberino” pipeline signifies PNM’s commitment to and support of the explosive growth in Santa Teresa and northern Chihuahua.
PNM’s Cost of Gas is variable. During August of 2002 the cost of gas was $0.2889/therm.

Water

Water in Santa Teresa is provided by the privately owned, publicly regulated Santa Teresa Services Company (STSC). Water is supplied by five wells with a production capacity of 2,500 gallons per minute.  Two aboveground storage tanks are capable of storing 1.5 million gallons, or 1.2 day’s storage.  Water is distributed through 6.5 miles of transmission lines and thirteen miles of distribution lines sized six inches to twelve inches and properly looped to meet fire flow requirements. The Border Industrial Park and Intermodal Park are supplied by Doña Ana County.

The system supplying the Santa Teresa Business Center and the airport has a pumping capacity of 600 gallons per minute at 80 psi.  In the event of a fire, a fire pump on site will automatically raise pressure and volume to 2,000 gallons per minute at 100 psi when a fire hydrant or sprinkler system is activated.  Transmission and distribution infrastructure servicing the Business Center is made up of eight, ten, and twelve-inch mains.

Water for the residential area of Santa Teresa is provided by a second system consisting of four wells and a combined pumping capacity of 1,950 gallons per minute. There is a 500,000-gallon storage facility with transmission and distribution through eight, ten and twelve inch mains.  Water service rates are as follows:
• $0.92 per 1,000 gallons on a typical 2” meter
• $49.09 monthly charge 

Wastewater

Santa Teresa Service Company (STSC) and Doña Ana County also provide wastewater collection and treatment. STSC runs a 500,000-gallon per day extended aeration treatment plant providing service to 1,054 residential and commercial users. Collection mains vary from eight to sixteen inches and treated effluent is released into the Rio Grande. Rates are:
• $0.75 per 1,000 gallons
• $7.13 monthly charge

Solid Waste

El Paso Disposal Company collects solid waste in the Santa Teresa area. It is placed into the Camino Real landfill owned and operated by the same company. The landfill is expected to last another 100 years at current usage. 

Telecommunications

Quest (formerly US West) provides telecommunication services in Santa Teresa.  In anticipation of major industrial growth in the area, the company has built a digital switching office near the airport.  The facility has a growth capacity of 3,000 additional lines and thirty to forty lines are currently in use.  To accommodate future usage needs, Quest has also acquired a ½ acre site near the border crossing for an additional switching facility.

E.  Spire, a competitor to Quest, will provide an integrated services digital network to Santa Teresa within the next year.  The company offers complete voice and data integrated services including Internet, ATM, frame relay, point-to-point dedicated access and local dial tone long distance service.  E. Spire provides industry standard T1/DS1 lines allowing high capacity access for large volume customers using a 24-circuit high-speed digital stream with a total volume of 1,544 Mbps.  D3 data transmission is also available bringing voice, data and video transmission to a superior level of speed, accuracy and information handling capacity.  E. Spire specializes in assisting call centers and in helping companies meet time frame needs.  Telecommunications consultants design services tailored to meet specific client needs.  The company is also equipped with a disaster recovery program consisting of battery powered backup systems in the case of unforeseen emergencies.