It's a popular fuel in New Mexico as its portability makes it possible to serve customers outside the areas of natural gas mains, and it costs two and a half times less than electricity. Industry standards were set in the 1930's. The National Fire Protection Association and the National Propane Gas Association set standards for safety and inspection. Propane is used by 60 million people in the country, with residential and commercial use accounting for 5.4 billion gallons. Commercial customers use it for heating and cooling, cooking and refrigeration and lighting.
Industrial customers use it for space heating, soldering, cutting and many others.
The remainder of the state's electricity is generated through use of natural gas, hydropower and petroleum. New Mexico imports over 500 megawatts of power from Texas and Arizona for the purpose of supplementing utility customer needs, but is an overall net exporter of electricity, primarily to California, Texas and Arizona. Electric utilities form a substantial market for New Mexico-produced coal and natural gas. Several different types of electric utilities serve New Mexico. Silver City Seven municipal power companies serve 7 percent of the state's customers in Farmington, Gallup, Raton, Truth or Consequences, Aztec, Springer and Los Alamos.