Arizona Wildfire Threatens 40% of El Paso’s Power Supply
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El Paso Electric Co., supplier of power to an oil refinery and the U.S. Army’s Fort Bliss, said it’s seeking alternative power supplies should an Arizona wildfire cut electrical lines from Palo Verde, the nation’s largest nuclear generating plant.
Within three days, the Wallow fire may reach high-voltage links that deliver 40 percent of the power used by 371,000 homes and businesses in western Texas and southeastern New Mexico, Teresa Souza, a spokeswoman for the El Paso, Texas-based utility owner, said today in an interview. The blaze, which started May 29, has scorched an area more than 20 times the size of Manhattan.