The Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) is an electric utility that serves much of New Mexico and its growing economy. PNM serves 424,000 electric customers throughout the state and also sells power on the wholesale market in the Southwest. There are some communities in the metro area, primarily in Torrance County, that are served by the Central New Mexico Electric Cooperative.
PNM has repeatedly been rated one of the most reliable electric utilities in the nation, with a reliability record of more than 99.9925% over the past several years. PNM has some of the lowest electric rates in the Southwest, offering an important competitive advantage to businesses that use a large amount of electricity.
Natural Gas
The Albuquerque metro area’s natural gas is provided by New Mexico Gas Company (NMGCO). Since New Mexico is the fourth largest gas producer in the United Sates and has the second largest reserves in the U.S., costs are among the lowest in the nation. NMGCO also offers large gas users the option of purchasing gas from a third party and transporting it over NMCGO lines.
Telecommunications
Albuquerque benefits from the use of digital technology by a number of providers including Qwest, tw telecom and Verizon. There are POPs throughout the metro area, most notably in the North I-25 Corridor and Downtown. There is a sonnet ring around these areas.
Area telecommunications providers offer a variety of service plans. In addition, the area is home to providers who offer complex telecommunications systems for call center and back office operations. AED can schedule meetings with area telecommunications providers to discuss their capabilities and services in greater detail.
Water
Historically, groundwater pumped from an underground aquifer has been the City of Albuquerque’s only source of water. However, the City of Albuquerque has taken a number of steps in the past few years to ensure an adequate, safe, and guaranteed supply of water for residential, commercial, and industrial uses well into the future.
The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority’s (ABCWUA) San Juan-Chama Water Project will supply up to 90 percent of Bernalillo County’s future water. San Juan-Chama water diverted from the river will is taken to a state-of-the-art treatment plant, resulting in adequate supply of purified water for Albuquerque area homes and businesses. The project infuses more than 16 billion gallons of water annually into the city. Water outside of Bernalillo County is provided by the municipal government in each community or by a private water company.
Wastewater
The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA) is responsible for maintaining Albuquerque's wastewater collection system and wastewater reclamation plant. The Wastewater Division serves all the Albuquerque area homes, businesses and institutions that are connected to the sewer system. The division serves an area that includes virtually all homes, schools, and businesses within the Albuquerque city limits, as well as the Village of Tijeras, Kirtland Air Force Base, Sandia Heights, and other residential areas in Bernalillo County
Wastewater in the service area flows through the system of sewer pipelines that the Water Reclamation Division builds and maintains. The sewers carry it to the Southside Water Reclamation Plant (SWRP). SWRP receives and reclaims about 60 million gallons of wastewater daily. Residential customers produce about 80 percent of this wastewater. The SWRP recycles about 200 million gallons of water each year, which is used for cleaning and irrigation.