El Paso Electric history

Initially its primary business consisted of providing transportation via mule-drawn streetcars, which were replaced in 1902 with electric streetcars.

In the 1920’s, our region was expanding rapidly and with this expansion came the need for more electricity.

By 1925, the company's core business had evolved to producing and distributing electricity.

The new power station, completed in November 1929, was named the Rio Grande Power Station.

El Paso Electric acquired Mesilla Valley Electric Company, which served Las Cruces, New Mexico, and its surrounding communities in 1940.

El Paso Electric's relationship with the Stone and Webster Subsidiary Engineers Public Service Company ended in July 1947, and since that time the Company has been an independent electric utility operating in West Texas and Southern New Mexico.

By 1950, EPE had developed kilowatt-hour sales of 347,550,340, but EPE's growth did not slow at that point.

EPE’s electric power generation was at an all-time high in 1959 – for the first time exceeding one billion kilowatt-hours.

In the last quarter of that year, preliminary construction was started on Unit 2 with a capability of 90,000 kilowatts for service in 1963.

The rapid growth of the New Mexico Division of EPE resulted in the construction of a new division office building in Las Cruces in 1967.

As energy needs increased, EPE purchased a seven percent undivided interest in two of the five units at Four Corners Generating Station, a coal-fired plant in Farmington, N.M., that was completed in 1969.

Continually planning for the future needs of a still-growing community, EPE began construction in 1970 on Unit No.

The first rate increase in the EPE’s history was granted in December 1974, effective Jan.

Also, in 1975, a fourth unit was built at Newman Power Station.

As a sideline, the company formed a subsidiary called Franklin Land & Resources in 1977.

Under the Economic Recovery Act of 1981, Franklin could restore buildings and in return retain a significant amount of former tax money.

Public Service Company of New Hampshire was the first, filing for Chapter 11 in 1988.

An achievement was reached in 1990 when Palo Verde produced more electricity than any other commercial nuclear plant in the country, and it cost less to build per kilowatt-hour than any other nuclear plant serving Texas.

As El Paso Electric pared down its activities, it signed a long-term agreement with the Republic of Mexico in 1991.

With $400 million in past-due loans and failed negotiations with creditors in November, El Paso Electric filed for Chapter 11 on January 8, 1992.

The company emerged from four years of bankruptcy on February 12, 1996.

The Comision Federal de Electricidad de Mexico approved the utility's bid, and the company agreed to provide a range of 120 to 200 megawatts of power during 1997.

In 2006, EPE developed its first ever utility scale solar facility, and has expanded its use of renewable energy in the past few years.

As of 2013, El Paso Electric had 32 electric car charging stations in its service area.

In August of 2016, as the 50-year contract with Four Corners came to an end, EPE decided that it would not extend its contract, making EPE one of the only utilities in Texas and New Mexico to generate electricity completely coal-free.

In 2019, the company reported annual operating revenues of $862 million and a net income of $123 million.