Gov. Susana Martinez delivered her strongest statements Tuesday about how New Mexico Gas Co. fumbled last week’s natural gas shortage, which left more than 20,000 homes and businesses in several communities without natural gas and heat.
As of Tuesday, six days after last week’s natural gas shortage, some New Mexicans remained without heat, a fact that clearly disturbed New Mexico’s governor.
“I am angry,” Martinez said a little before 1 p.m. Tuesday and just after addressing state lawmakers in a joint session of the New Mexico House and Senate. “And the people deserve to be angry. Some of the folks in Espanola and Taos and other affected areas have been without heat for six days. That is unacceptable. There should have been better preparation and better advance notice by the gas company to all New Mexicans so they could have planned for this storm. Here we are now on top of another storm.”
Martinez went on to say ”We just got a report about 20 minutes ago. A little over 70 percent of re-lights in Taos and close to 80 percent of re-lights in Espanola.”
She was referring officials re-lighting pilot lights in homes and businesses.
She also said that about 50 “contractors are coming in” Tuesday to re-canvass homes in those communities that were visited earlier but found to have no one at home at the time.
Martinez also said the state checked with the gas company to make sure there was enough gas in storage in New Mexico to weather this latest winter storm, which hit Santa Fe on Tuesday afternoon.
“They have guaranteed us that they have enough of that in stock,” she said.
