State Commissions
Theresa Becenti-Aguilar is a Commissioner for the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission.
The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission is busy, tasked by the state legislature with implementation of the Energy Transition Act, calling for a phased transition to clean energy with goals of fifty percent renewables by 2030, eighty percent by 2040, and net zero for IOUs by 2045 and for co-ops by 2050. The five-member elected Commission will change to a three-member appointed one at the end of 2022. The Commissioners said they want to leave it all better. Here, they tell you in their words about the coming changes and the status and future of the energy and utilities industry in the beautiful State of New Mexico.
PUF's Lori Burkhart: How did your background lead to the Commission?
Commissioner Theresa Becenti-Aguilar: My last name, Becenti, is a Navajo name. I'm an American Indian and I come from the largest nation in the country, the Navajo Nation.
I was originally hired as an employee, as a Native American liaison for the Public Regulation Commission in 2006. I was the first Native American liaison for the agency, which at the time had over two hundred fifty employees. My job was to generate communications and build bridges with Native American tribes in New Mexico.