By Steven A. Chavira, Executive Officer, Grant County Chamber of Commerce

I've been watching with interest the unfolding of the AVANGRID/PNM merger. Silver City and Grant County are in the PNM service territory. And the southwestern part of New Mexico is some of the sunniest and windiest parts of the state. A company like AVANGRID being interested in New Mexico is a huge win for our state. They are national leaders in renewable energy, and that's good for everyone.

On the table is a package with $73 million in benefits to ratepayers – you and me. $50 million of that is a direct benefit to everyone with savings on our utility bills for the next three years. The remaining $23 million goes to those who need it most: those who lack resources for energy efficiency, those who owe money to PNM for arrearages during the pandemic, and those who do not even have access to the grid. That money will benefit many of Grant County's residents.

They also are promising high-paying jobs, which our state sorely needs. AVANGRID is promising 150 permanent high-paying jobs, with starting salaries of $90,000. Economists value this benefit at another $200 million.

The final benefit, and probably the most exciting, is that we will have another exportable resource to sell to other western states – wind and sun. With the partnership with Avangrid the company will be able to generate far more power than New Mexico needs. That means we will make money on two of our greatest resources – the wind and the sun.

The Grant County Chamber of Commerce welcomes AVANGRID with open arms, and we look forward to partnering with you on PNM's next chapter.