Kit Carson Electric Cooperative underground projects in the Village of Taos Ski Valley

If your property is near a KCEC electrical underground facility you may have received notice that Underground Electricity is available to you with information and requirements for connection.

The Village has a Franchise Agreement with KCEC to place a portion of revenues in a fund to improve lighting within the Village. The Village policy has been to reserve 100% of those funds for underground work in the public Right of Way. Village Ordinance 2015-51. Section 2-1; Mandatory Connection requires connection to underground service as available.

The application process involves selecting New Service, from the Kit Carson site, download/print the form but call and ask for an “Upgrade to Underground Service”,  include your  meter number. KCEC agent, Rick Leon 575-770-9927 may be contacted to individually access each connection but  he will need you to call Customer Service to start the application process  (see form KCEC.)

The Village has contracted with Precision Service Electric 505-259-4709 for electrical work but can’t provide that service to private properties. You may use any licensed electrician even if none are listed or registered in the Village. KCEC may have a listing to recommend.

The Village has paid for the public portion of underground connection cost on a case by case basis. These connection ” credits” are still available for single properties, however the priority project for underground service has been the Amizette area.

A Village excavation contractor was chosen and work was started to install underground electric on the side roads north of NM150 and for an extension of underground transmission line parallel to and on the south side of NM150. (see map Amizettte)

Delay in getting permission to excavate first on the side roads and then along the highway have encumbered the project. Permits are pursued for the Village excavation contractor by KCEC, to the NM Department of Transportation and the US Forest Service. An amendment to the KCEC NM150 north side excavation permit is the most efficient way to get this done. Permission from the USFS to install the KCEC underground on the south of NM150 is still pending but those are expected to be approved in June 2021. If so, it should allow for the project to be completed this construction season. An answer is expected this week.

The Village contractor was able to install electrical conduit in 2020 to Amizette streets (Gerson, Emma, and Gusdorf). KCEC scheduled installation of electric lines within the underground conduit for the construction season of 2021. They were able to meet their target mid-April.

Some dozen or so properties along Zaps and Twining are near underground facilities and the project to access the KCEC facilities up to these properties has been under way for the last year. These connections are in different stages of readiness. The goal is to complete these this summer to allow for cutting power to some overhead lines. (see map KCUG )

With the Twining and Amizette projects underway, helping to get parking lot electricity underground and scoping potential underground projects on Coyote Lane and Upper Twining are next.

The Village is a participant in the Kit Carson Wildlife Risk Reduction Program. Options for further underground projects may be generated with that effort. This project involves KCEC, the USFS, and governments within the region to prioritize areas of fire risk involving KCEC facilities and work to reduce the risk. Immediate benefits in GIS and contract sharing were realized in the first meetings.

The KCEC Underground Project status report is provided monthly and will be included on the website as well. 

Amizette_Underground_06022021 Diagram
KCEC_Internal_Analysis_06032021
Request for Electric Service Form
KCEC Highway 150 map