.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... AZTEC — The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission has extended a moratorium on utilities disconnecting residential customers who have been unable to pay their utility bills. This comes as utilities face mounting amounts of unpaid bills and tens of thousands of customers have been unable to pay their bills. “I think we all realize this is a major decision by this commission,” said Commissioner Joseph Maestas during the Jan. 6 meeting. “Looking across the country, different states are taking different actions. But, you know, we are New Mexico and certainly we can’t allow the moratorium on disconnections to expire.” PRC General Counsel Judith Amer said Public Service Company of New Mexico, the state’s largest electric utility, has 54,000 residential customers who have missed payments. Amer said PNM has the highest dollar amount of unpaid bills, totaling about $21.6 million in December. Of the residential and commercial customers that have unpaid bills, only 13.6% — 7,000 residential and 300 commercial customers — have entered into an extended payment plan with PNM.