BREAKING: New Mexico Gas Co. proposes building plant in RR – Rio Rancho Observer

Rio Rancho Mayor Matt Geisel

This is simply tip .01 of regarding a 1,000-step trip — Mayor Matt Geisel

Rio Rancho might obtain a gas plant that would certainly provide 100 tasks. 

The New Mexico Gas Firm is suggesting to develop a dissolved gas (LNG) center at Quail Cattle ranch — regarding 2 miles north of Dual Eagle II Airport terminal — to offer clients throughout high durations of need or gas supply interruptions.  

“This job will certainly improve our capacity to provide integrity and also safety and security of supply over to our clients over the lasting,” stated Gerald Weseen, NMGC vice head of state of regulative, method and also exterior events.

Weseen offered the job to the Rio Rancho Administration Tuesday.  

“This is simply tip .01 of regarding a 1,000-step trip,” Mayor Matt Geisel stated. 

The firm’s gas plant presently beings in the Permian Container in West Texas, yet the firm  wishes to relocate to Rio Rancho due to its closeness to New Mexico Gas Firm’s circulation system and also close-by power framework. 

The firm bought 160 acres at Quail Cattle ranch. Of that, 20 acres would certainly be utilized for the plant.  

The remainder of the land would certainly be utilized as a barrier area for safety and security and also avoid future infringement, stated Curtis Victor, NMGC supervisor of job monitoring and also applications. 

The plant would certainly use greater than 100. It would certainly consist of an LNG tank that can hold around 1 million cubic feet of melted gas.

The prospective expense for clients is still being established, according to a firm details sheet, “yet the intent is that it will certainly set you back clients absolutely nothing extra considering that the rate will certainly be balanced out by the worth of present agreements for rented below ground storage space in West Texas, which will certainly no more be required after the LNG storage space center functions.” 

For numerous years the firm rented below ground salt domes in West Texas for gas storage space. 

“Although the expense of the recommended LNG center is still being established, we prepare for that it will certainly be typically similar to the worth of our existing storage space agreements,” NMGC representative Tim Korte informed the Viewer. “In addition, those agreements are readied to end around the very same time we wish to bring the LNG center online, so there must be no internet adjustment to the expense for storage space.” 

Integrity and also safety and security 

The New Mexico Gas Firm pitched a concept to develop a gas plant in the Rio Rancho city restricts regarding ten years earlier, yet it later on withdrew its application.

Representative Paul Wymer stated he was shocked by the firm’s choice to go back to the city afterwards years. 

Considering That 2012, the firm has actually purchased numerous funding framework jobs that “enhanced the safety and security and also integrity of our circulation system throughout New Mexico,” Korte stated. 

“After the February 2021 wintertime climate occasion and also the resulting influence to gas rates, the New Mexico Public Guideline Payment guided NMGC to review prospective steps to raise accessibility to saved gas, and also our present initiatives remain in reaction to that demand,” he stated.  

The firm will certainly go back to the regulating body in the be up to look for authorization of a resolution sustaining the job. It will certainly after that make an application for a certification of public benefit and also requirement to the state Public Guideline Payment. 

If it is authorized, building can start in 2024 with the center beginning procedures in late 2026.