WILDFIRE FUND ACT

HB 171 establishes a "Wildfire Fund" to reimburse New Mexico electric utilities for damages from wildfires they caused through their infrastructure (defined as "covered wildfires"). The fund is financed by a per-megawatt surcharge collected from participating utilities, not customers, with surcharge amounts based on each utility's wildfire risk history and mitigation plans. Utilities must submit approved wildfire mitigation plans covering vegetation management, infrastructure safety, and response protocols to qualify for fund payments. The bill also creates new oversight roles - the Service Infrastructure Safety Engineer and Bureau within the Public Regulation Commission - to manage the fund and ensure compliance.