Feds fail to allay concerns over power corridor

A virtual hearing with the U.S. Department of Energy officials didn't allay concerns or skepticism of Quay County commissioners and many audience members about a proposed National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor in the eastern part of the county.

More than 30 people showed up for Monday's commission meeting, prompting a move from its usual chambers to the more spacious second-floor courtroom of the Quay County Courthouse.

The commission in October sent a letter to the DOE, informing it must inform the public before taking action about the corridor.

The DOE states on its website the Federal Power Act authorizes the Secretary of Energy to designate any geographic area as a National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor if he or she finds consumers are harmed by a lack of electrical transmission in an area and that development of such would advance national interests there, such as better grid reliability and reduced consumer costs.

The proposed corridor in question runs from southeast Colorado, through eastern New Mexico (including near the Quay County communities of Nara Visa and San Jon) and into southeast New Mexico. The corridor would be five to 10 miles wide.

New commission Chairwoman Jerri Rush questioned whether the county needed such a power line.

"I don't know if you're been to Quay County," she said to the DOE officials, "but everyone here has electricity, so thanks."

Commissioners also peppered questions to DOE officials about the proposed corridor.

One attendee later described the DOE's responses as "word salad."

Another said: "I don't think they can answer our questions."

When asked after the meeting whether the officials' answers soothed their concerns, all three commissioners confirmed they did not.

Commissioner Brian Fortner asked whether the agency considered the habitat for the endangered lesser prairie chicken or a no-fly zone at Cannon Air Force Base.

DOE official Molly Roy said the agency anticipates a final draft of the proposal in 2026.

Sign-in sheets of attendees at the meeting showed residents from San Jon, Bard and Nara Visa, plus a few from as far south as Grady and Melrose.

Nara Visa rancher Ed Hughes said the corridor would run through the western part of his property. He questioned the DOE officials' assertions they had engaged with the public about the project, noting area lawmakers hadn't heard about it.

Michelle Frost-Maynard, who owns property in the San Jon area, asked whether DOE officials had toured the land in the proposed corridor. None confirmed they had.

She questioned the use of Zoom videoconferences as public input.

"Come here and be in person. Talk to these people face-to-face," she said to applause.

Frost-Maynard, expressing concerns about the possibility of her land being seized through eminent domain, noted she has negotiated in good faith for other projects, including a wind farm south of her property.

Local rancher Bill Humphries said the period for public input on the project was "ridiculously short."

"It doesn't meet the intent of public involvement," he said.

Allen Moss, president of Mesalands Community College, said residents should "keep an open mind that this is potential growth in this area." He noted the college trains many wind technicians for future wind farms in the region.

New county assessor Jefferson Byrd, formerly a member of the state's Public Regulation Commission, said electrical power isn't needed so much in Quay County but in the fast-growing southeastern part of the state and Las Cruces.

Despite the northeast part of the state being "a prime location for wind generation," he said the lack of transmission lines is impeding wind development there, he said.

Cliff Copeland of Nara Visa said all counties need to come together to oppose the project - a sentiment echoed by new commissioner Dallas Dowell.

"This is an eastern New Mexico issue, not a county issue," Copeland said

County manager Daniel Zamora recommended taking concerns to state legislators, adding the project "warrants an extra set of eyes" when permits are required.

Zamora said he doubted whether the corridor can be stopped.

"It's probably coming, like it or not," he said.

Comments about the project can be emailed to [email protected] through Feb. 14. More mapping details about the proposed corridor can be found at the Geospatial Energy Mapper website at gem.anl.gov.

Other items

Other items heard or acted on by the commission:

- Sheriff Dennis Garcia gave medals of valor to deputies Larry Cooksey and Pierce Gutierrez for their "exceptional heroism and bravery" when an assailant shot Garcia south of Tucumcari in May.

Aubrey Osteen, 77, unexpectedly shot Garcia in the chest while he and his deputies were investigating reports of threats to health providers at Osteen's home.

As Undersheriff Russell Shafer wrestled with Osteen's gun, Garcia returned fire and killed Osteen.

"Lt. Cooksey positioned himself in a strategic location inside the kitchen and provided support for Undersheriff Shafer and me," Garcia statement. "Lt. Cooksey bravely stayed in his position, providing cover until it was clear the suspect was no longer a threat."

Garcia said Gutierrez was outside collecting interviews when he heard the gunshots from inside the house.

"Body-worn camera shows Deputy Gutierrez ran into the house to check on his partners without hesitation. I met Deputy Gutierrez outside as I exited the house before he entered, and he instantly checked my injuries before entering the house," Garcia stated.

The sheriff suffered minor injuries because he was wearing a bulletproof vest. He showed a handheld radio where a bullet went through.

"I am forever grateful for the brave men God put at my side when I was shot," Garcia added. "Quay County should be proud to have men of this caliber protecting our community."

- During the reorganization of the commission, commissioners elected Rush as madame chairman and Fortner as vice chairman. Both were initially nominated by Dowell. Rush, re-elected to a second term in November, has the most seniority on the commission.

- Commissioners approved a resolution that removes former commissioner Robert Lopez and former treasurer Patsy Gresham as bank signatories and adds new treasurer Theresa Lafferty and Dowell.

- Vickie Gutierrez, administrator for Trigg Memorial Hospital, said the number of patients at the hospital rose by about 300 in 2024 compared to the previous year.

She said the hospital's net margin also improved, thanks to new state and federal funding.

Gutierrez said three new nursing graduates from Mesalands would enable the hospital to stop hiring more costly traveling nurses.

She said Presbyterian Healthcare Services is making a list of equipment it needs for a new Trigg Memorial Hospital.

Commissioners approved a total of $500,000 in mill levy and gross receipts taxes to help support the hospital for the third and fourth quarter of its fiscal year.

- Commissioners approved invoices from October, November and December from the Quay County Family Health Center.

During the presentation, Angie Coburn of Presbyterian Medical Services, which operates the clinic, thanked the county for its support and repairs to bullet holes in the building after a shooting at the site on Dec. 30.

"It was scary," she said of the incident.

- Commissioners granted road superintendent Stephen Salas' request to pay off a lease for a roller for about $91,000 so the county can own it outright. He said the roller "has a lot of life left" and that paying off the lease "is a better deal all the way around for the county."

- Commissioners approved a resolution for a match waiver on work on Quay Road AR that will save about $17,000.

- Commissioners approved a letter of intent for the county to become a fiscal agent for Tucumcari MainStreet capital outlay grant projects.

- Commissioners approved an agreement for Tucumcari Rawhide Days to use the fairgrounds for its annual event on May 20-22.

- Commissioners approved EMS annual service reports and local program funding applications for the District 1 and Forrest fire departments for about $5,000 and $28,000 respectively.

- During his manager's report, Zamora said the county's gross-receipts tax revenue in December dropped slightly from a record level in November but still "was coming in strong." He cited construction and retail for the robust numbers.

- Zamora said the county recently submitted its capital-outlay funding requests, with replacing the courthouse's HVAC system, repairing plumbing in the jail and new road equipment as the highest priorities.