El Paso Already Got Hit With Rate Increases. Now Utilities Want More.

El Paso already dealt with utility rate hikes. Now two more are on the table, and at least one of them has everything to do with a data center that a lot of people in this city never asked for.

Let's break it down.

Texas Gas Service tried to raise your rates. The City said no.

The El Paso City Council voted Monday to deny Texas Gas Service's proposed interim rate increase and moved to temporarily block any new rates for an additional 45 days to allow for further review. El Paso Matters

That's a win, but don't relax yet. This is just one battle in a much longer war. The city is also in the middle of a separate legal challenge to the larger Texas Gas Service rate case. The Railroad Commission of Texas already declined the city's motion for rehearing, and the city is now proceeding with a court appeal. El Paso Matters

And what are we talking about money-wise? Average households could see bills rise around 10%, or roughly $3 to $4 per month, while larger homes could see increases closer to 19%, about $11 more every month. El Paso Matters That adds up.

Now El Paso Electric wants in on the action.

El Paso Electric filed a general rate case with the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, citing investments made to strengthen the grid and support community growth. The proposed change involves a base revenue increase of approximately $70 million, with residential customers seeing roughly 49 cents more per day during the first phase. City of El Paso

EPE says this is about recovering costs for work already completed, not future projects. But here's the part that should make every El Pasoan pay attention: the utility stated the new rate structures would "ensure large load customers, like manufacturing, data centers, would pay their fair share" in consideration of families and small businesses. City of El Paso

That sounds great on paper. But the question nobody has answered clearly is: how much of this infrastructure cost is already being passed on to regular people while that process plays out?

The data center nobody voted on is the elephant in the room.

El Paso Electric has proposed a $473 million gas-powered plant to power the Meta facility, and natural gas is not a renewable energy source. Who pays for that plant if it gets built has not been answered clearly. elpasomatters

Meanwhile, County Commissioner Jackie Butler has pointed out that other counties have told her they "can't afford the electric rates that are being brought on by these data centers," a concern backed by data showing communities near data centers have seen electricity prices rise 257% since 2020. elpasomatters

257%. Let that sink in.

And when El Pasoans showed up to speak out about it, they got called a virus.

For weeks, concerned residents packed El Paso City Council meetings on their own time to voice opposition to the Meta data center being built near U.S. Highway 54 and Stan Roberts Sr. Avenue in Northeast El Paso. Jon Barela, CEO of the Borderplex Alliance, the organization that brokered the Meta deal, responded to those residents at the 2026 Global Border Summit at Hotel Paso del Norte, saying: "We do not want that virus to spread in our community." elpasomatters

A virus. That's what Barela called El Pasoans asking questions about their electric bills, their water, and their future.

READ MORE: JON BARELA CALLS EL PASO CITIZENS A "VIRUS"

The city is fighting back where it can. Mayor Renard Johnson said the city has "opposed these increases, taken formal action, and will continue to use every avenue available to advocate for our community," while also acknowledging that final decisions in many utility matters are made outside the city's control. El Paso Matters

That honesty is appreciated. But it also means the community has to stay loud, stay informed, and stay involved.

Because apparently, in some circles, that's considered a virus worth stopping.