PRIVATE EQUITY INFRASTRUCTURE OWNERSHIP

This House Memorial (HM 6) requests a study on private equity ownership of essential utilities like gas, electric, and water systems in New Mexico. It does not change laws but asks state agencies to examine how private equity control affects service reliability, costs for ratepayers, wildfire risk mitigation, and impacts on rural/low-income communities. The study will analyze maintenance spending, financial extraction tactics, workforce effects, and whether private equity acquisitions threaten public safety or affordability. This is a procedural step to inform future policy decisions, not an immediate regulatory change.