The "Wildfire Utility Mitigation and Liability Act" is designed to improve wildfire mitigation efforts by electric utilities in New Mexico. It requires these utilities to create and submit comprehensive wildfire mitigation plans to the Public Regulation Commission (PRC) for approval, which must include risk assessments, maintenance procedures, and community outreach strategies. Utilities are also mandated to provide annual compliance reports to demonstrate adherence to their plans, with the PRC issuing certificates of compliance based on these reports. The bill allows utilities to recover costs associated with their mitigation efforts through a cost recovery rider.

In addition to establishing a framework for mitigation plans, the bill introduces limitations on liability for electric utilities in qualified wildfire civil actions, creating a rebuttable presumption that compliance with approved plans indicates reasonable wildfire risk preparation. It sets a one-year statute of limitations for initiating qualified wildfire civil actions and outlines conditions under which utilities may be held liable for wildfire damages. The legislation also includes provisions for wildfire mitigation grants for cooperatives, appropriates $2.25 million from the general fund to support implementation, and clarifies existing laws regarding damages related to wildfires.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 30-32-4, 37-1-4
EN substitute: 30-32-4, 37-1-4