El Paso Electric is close to receiving approval for a $308 million plan to upgrade its power grid, making it stronger and more reliable. The plan, which was initially valued at $328 million, aims to reduce outages by replacing thousands of power poles and upgrading power lines.

Background

The utility company filed the application in December 2025, citing the need for improved resiliency in the face of extreme weather events. A two-day wind event in February 2023 caused 87 outages, and it took 36 hours to restore power to all customers. Additionally, a 44-day stretch of temperatures above 100°F led to increased electrical loads, resulting in outages.

The plan also includes the implementation of smarter technology to detect outages automatically and restore power faster. El Paso Electric has until June 17 to file corrections to the plan.

Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.