(Originally published in the October 2014 Housing Journal)

Important Change for Underground Electric Service for New Residential Customers of Public Service Company of New Mexico

The current PNM practice for new residential service is to install electric service cable direct buried in a 36” deep trench between PNM’s transformer or pedestal to the customer’s meter socket.

Effective January 1, 2015 new service will require a customer provided and installed empty three inch PVC duct buried 36” deep in a customer-provided trench connected to the meter riser pipe, and a PNM-provided three inch PVC stub out from the transformer or pedestal. PNM will inspect the duct installation and install the service cable in the duct. In both the current practice and the new practice, PNM connects the service wire at PNM’s source equipment and at the meter socket. This new practice will facilitate faster electric service installations, reduce future service cable fault repair costs, enable faster service restoration, and eliminate or reduce future disruptions to landscaping.

Developers:

Effective September 8, 2014 PNM designs for all new subdivision or line extension request will include the requirement for conduit elbows and stub outs installed with the transformer and/or pedestal installations. Additionally all secondary conductors will be required to be installed in conduit. (Diagrams are available at nmhba.org.

Home Builders:

Effective January 1, 2015 PNM will require new service customers to provide and install an empty three inch PVC duct buried 36” deep in a customer-provided trench connected to the meter riser pipe and to a PNM-provided three inch PVC stub out from the transformer or pedestal. PNM will inspect the duct installation and install the service cable in the duct. PNM will not charge the customer for the service cable installation for services of 100 feet or less. In both the current practice and new practice, PNM connects the service wire at PNM source equipment and at the meter socket.

Under this new practice home builders will coordinate with phone and cable companies for the installation of their services. PNM will no longer install these services.

If you have questions about these changes, please contact Bob Jarrett at robert.jarrett@pnm.com.