Section 62-3-2.1 - Objects and purposes; liberal interpretation.
62-3-2.1. Objects and purposes; liberal interpretation.
A. The following are declared to be the objects and purposes of this 1985 act. Experience has proven that the costs to ratepayers of small water utilities with annual revenues of less than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) and the public at large in complete government regulation of their rates is greatly disproportionate to the need and benefits of complete rate regulation and interferes with setting of fair, just and reasonable rates to all utilities. A rational basis exists to provide procedures for setting rates of such small water utilities different from and more limited than those for setting rates of other utilities. Without limiting government regulation of rate setting by small water utilities as provided by Section 62-8-7.1 NMSA 1978, the declared policy of the Public Utility Act [62-13-1 NMSA 1978], as amended, the provision of reasonable and proper utility services at fair, just and reasonable rates, and the general welfare, business and industry of the state may be frustrated.
B. The following are hereby declared to be the objects and purposes of these 1987 amendments to the Public Utility Act. Because small sewer utilities are similar to small water utilities, the costs to ratepayers of small sewer utilities with annual revenues of less than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) and the public at large in complete government regulation of their rates is greatly disproportionate to the need and benefits of complete rate regulation and interferes with setting of fair, just and reasonable rates to all utilities. A rational basis exists to provide procedures for setting rates of such small sewer utilities different from and more limited than those for setting rates of other utilities. Without limiting government regulation of rate setting by small sewer utilities as provided by Section 62-8-7.1 NMSA 1978, the declared policy of the Public Utility Act, the provision of reasonable and proper utility services at fair, just and reasonable rates, and the general welfare, business and industry of the state may be frustrated.
C. The following are declared to be the objects and purposes of this 1991 act. Experience has proven that the construction, development and extension of proper plants and facilities cannot be accomplished without unnecessary duplication and economic waste within areas certificated to water and sewer utilities without controls against duplicative intrusions into certificated areas by municipal utilities. A rational basis exists to prohibit intrusion of municipal water or sewer facilities or service into areas in which a public utility furnishes regulated services until that municipality elects to come within the terms of the Public Utility Act, in which event both systems will be brought into parity of treatment with respect to the commission's independent jurisdiction and power to prevent unreasonable interference between competing plants, lines and systems. Without such controls as provided by Section 62-9-1.1 NMSA 1978, the declared policy of the Public Utility Act, the provision of reasonable and proper utility services at fair, just and reasonable rates and the general welfare, business and industry of the state may be frustrated.
D. The provisions of the 1985 and 1987 acts and of this 1991 act shall be liberally construed to carry out their purposes.