Los Alamos County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Los Alamos County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Residential energy-efficiency loan program
The county is exploring letting homeowners pay for heat pumps, insulation, and electrical panel upgrades through a line on their utility bill instead of a personal loan. It could help households that can't front $15,000-$20,000 for electrification, but board members flagged serious questions: liens on homes, collections, contractor participation, and whether the Climate Investment Center is the right partner.
Electric distribution undergrounding
August's outage review showed mysterious short underground faults in White Rock, aging 1970s cable nearing failure, and concerns that SAIDI will hover around the 60-minute target until old cable is replaced.
Extended Day-Ahead Market participation
UAMPS leaders warned that Los Alamos will be pulled into the Energy Day-Ahead Market when PNM joins in October 2027, and that members without dispatchable capacity saw bills jump 36-70%. They urged the county to get involved in PNM's tariff comment process now and model its portfolio.
Gas Service Rates Amendment
Gas bills rise about 16-17% on average starting September 1: the per-therm charge jumps 41% and the service charge 9%, driven by a projected $760,000 gas fund loss after a warm year with low usage.
Time-of-use billing transition problems
Since the new time-of-use rates launched July 1, bill production has been rocky — delayed cycles and corrected bills — though staff expect September to improve and credit the customer care team for absorbing the pain.
Integrated Resource Plan implementation
The IRP is the utility's long-term plan for meeting the community's power needs. This update showed where implementation stands — it shapes future rates, reliability, and energy choices.
Atomic Fiber broadband buildout begins
A road grader cut the county's single Lumen fiber line in September, cutting cell and internet service for about 20 hours. The county's second fiber line via San Ildefonso Pueblo is built but not yet connected pending an MOU, and no internet providers have committed to redundancy yet. Residents who lost connectivity couldn't call 911 or reach family.
Comcast Cable Franchise
The new cable franchise with Comcast goes back before council June 9. Comcast has kept operating and paying franchise fees under its expired agreement while the new one is negotiated.
Denver Steels Waterline Replacement and Easement Vacations
After severely corroded service lines were found, the county replaced water lines for about 126 Denver Steels homes using a state loan, moving meters to the property line. The easement vacation formally shifts future maintenance responsibility — and cost — from the county to homeowners.
Hexavalent chromium groundwater plume
A state Environment Department update reported the chromium plume is not contained within LANL property, state and LANL disagree on whether injections should continue, and the pump-and-treat system needs improvements and is at a standstill.