El Paso Electric Company filed a joint motion to abate the procedural schedule related to its Public Utility Commission of Texas rate case proceeding to facilitate settlement talks. The Public Utility Commission of Texas Staff, the City of El Paso, the Office of Public Utility Counsel and the Texas Industrial Energy consumers joined in this joint motion. The parties have made substantial progress in settlement talks but have not yet reached a full settlement agreement.

An order approving the joint motion, cancelling the prehearing conference scheduled for this, January 22, 2016, and postponing the start of the hearing on the merits also was issued on January 22, 2016. EPE will file a status report on settlement progress with the Administrative Law Judges, January 29, 2016. On August 10, 2015, EPE filed with the City of El Paso, other incorporated municipalities in its Texas service territory and the PUCT a request for an increase in non-fuel base revenues of approximately $71.5 million.

When EPE filed its rebuttal testimony on January 15, 2016, it modified the requested increase to $63.3 million. A hearing on the merits of the rate case filing was set to begin on January 26, 2016.