Quick Status Update

Last Updated: Wednesday, July 8, 2026 12:05 p.m.

Summary 

Commissioner Camilla Bustamante met virtually with representatives from PNM on July 7, 2026, to discuss consistent power outages affecting the La Cienega area. PNM explained that the outages resulted from three separate causes: wildfire mitigation protocols during extreme drought conditions, equipment failure during infrastructure upgrades on July 4, and increased electrical demand from a nearby federal facility while its microgrid was offline. PNM also described the area's existing electrical system, which is primarily served by a single feeder, limiting the ability to reroute power during outages. 

The discussion included ongoing infrastructure improvements such as vegetation management, pole replacements, wildfire mitigation, and evaluation of future redundancy projects to improve long-term reliability. Commissioner Bustamante requested additional information on the electrical system, outage history, and ways to better communicate technical information to the public. PNM agreed to review the request for outage data and determine what information can be publicly shared, while Commissioner Bustamante's office will prepare a public-facing summary of the meeting. 

REMINDER:Our office has been advised to encourage community members affected by the recent power outages to contact the PNM Claims Department to initiate a claim. Residents may begin the claims process by calling PNM Customer Service at (505) 241-2700 or (888) 342-5766. A Customer Care Representative will assist by transferring callers to the Claims Intake Operator, who will guide them through the claims process. 

 

Meeting Minutes

Power Outage Discussion – La Cienega 
Date: July 7, 2026 
Time: Approximately 4:00 p.m. 
Location: Virtual Meeting (Microsoft Teams) 

Attendees

• Commissioner Camilla Bustamante, Santa Fe County  
• Brittney Lovato, District 3 Liaison  
• Sergio Mata-Cisneros, PNM Local Government & Community Relations Manager  
• Carlos Lucero, Senior Manager, Governmental Affairs & Community Relations 

Purpose of Meeting

To discuss consistent power outages affecting the La Cienega area, review the causes of the outages, understand PNM's ongoing infrastructure improvements, and discuss future system reliability.

 

Discussion

Overview of Recent Power Outages 

PNM representatives acknowledged the recent series of outages affecting La Cienega and explained that each outage resulted from a different cause rather than a single recurring issue. 

PNM identified three primary outage events: 

• Weekend outages of June 20-21, 2026 (Saturday and Sunday):  
  • Caused by PNM's wildfire mitigation protocols.  
  • Due to extreme drought conditions, the electrical system was placed in a "one-shot" protective mode, preventing automatic re-energization after interruptions.  
  • Crews were required to inspect the entire power line before restoring service to ensure no fire hazards existed.  
• July 4, 2026 outage:  
  • The July 4th outage stemmed from an underground cable near a substation. Due to the damaged underground cable being located beneath a road, the repairs took most of the day to complete. 
  • Restoration was delayed because:  
    • Crews first had to determine whether the fault was overhead or underground.  
    • State excavation notification requirements required a mandatory waiting period before excavation could begin.  
    • Additional crews and contractors had to be mobilized due to holiday staffing limitations.  
  • Over the past few weeks, PNM has replaced an underground feeder from the substation in this area to upgrade it to modern standards and increase its load capacity.
• Most recent outage of July 8, 2026:  
  • The outage in La Cienega affected about 1,300 customers. It started at 10:30 a.m. and crews restored power just before noon.
  • The outage was caused by a broken overhead power line, and was not in retaion to the July 4, 2026 outage.
  • Crews had to replace about 300 feet of damaged wire. The damaged section was located near equipment that had been recently struck by lightning. Crews believe the lightning may have weakened the wire and contributed to the failure.

 

Existing Electrical Infrastructure 

PNM team explained that: 

• La Cienega is currently served primarily by a single radial feeder (State Pen 12) originating from the State Penitentiary Substation
• Because only one primary feeder serves the area, any interruption along that line has the potential to affect a significant number of customers.  
• Unlike other parts of Santa Fe, there is currently limited ability to reroute power from another feeder during an outage.  

PNM further explained: 

• Portions of the system are overhead while others are underground.  
• Approximately 1,700–1,800 customers are served by this feeder.    

 

Infrastructure Improvements 

PNM outlined several improvements completed or underway, including: 

• Expanded vegetation management following the November 2024 snowstorm.  
• Wildfire mitigation efforts.  
• Pole replacements and system upgrades.  
• Continued improvements intended to increase long-term reliability.  
• Ongoing evaluation of additional sectionalizing and redundancy improvements to reduce the number of customers affected during future outages.  

PNM emphasized that although construction activities may temporarily increase outage risk, the long-term goal is to improve reliability.

 

Questions from Commissioner Bustamante 

Commissioner Bustamante requested clarification regarding: 

• The location of the State Penitentiary Substation.  
• The route of the primary feeder serving La Cienega.  
• Whether the Beckner Substation could provide backup service.  
• The visual distinction between overhead and underground portions of the electrical system.  
• Why outages affecting the primary feeder impact the entire community.  

PNM explained that: 

• The Beckner Substation currently cannot provide backup service to La Cienega because the limiting factor is the lack of redundancy along the feeder itself rather than the substation.  
• Future redundancy improvements remain under evaluation.  

 

Public Communication 

Commissioner Bustamante discussed the importance of providing accurate information to constituents regarding the recent outages and expressed interest in explaining the technical causes of the outages in a manner understandable to the public. 

Commissioner Bustamante requested: 

• A report documenting outages in the La Cienega area over approximately the past year.  
• Information that would assist in responding to constituent concerns and correcting misinformation regarding outage frequency.  

PNM indicated they would review the request and determine what outage information could be provided. 

 

Action Items

Action	Responsible Party
Provide Commissioner Bustamante with available outage history for the La Cienega area.	PNM
Review whether outage information can be shared publicly.	PNM
Continue infrastructure upgrades and redundancy planning for the La Cienega electrical system.	PNM
Prepare a public-facing summary explaining what was discussed during this meeting.	Commissioner Bustamante's Office

 

View Official PNM Outage Map

Community updates are provided for informational purposes and may not reflect real-time utility operations. For official outage status and restoration estimates, please use the PNM Outage Map.