BLM Advances Major New Mexico-Arizona Transmission Project

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on February 17 released the final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Sunzia Southwest Transmission Project, which is the final major regulatory hurdle before the start of construction. The project is intended to transport up to 4,500 megawatts (MW) of "primarily renewable energy" from New Mexico to markets in Arizona, and onto California via existing transmission lines. Industrial Info is tracking related project reports.

The issuance kicks off a 30-day protest period as well as a 60-day review period for the governors of New Mexico and Arizona. The BLM will then draft a Record of Decision, which is the final stage of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) permitting process.

Pattern Energy Group LP (San Francisco, California), developer, owner and operator of utility-scale wind and solar facilities in the United States, Canada, Japan and Mexico, acquired the project last year from a subsidiary of MMR Group Incorporated (Houston, Texas).

The environmental impact statement was needed after the project backers in 2020 proposed amending four segments of the line that were outside the originally approved 400-foot-wide right-of-way authorization to avoid conflicts with private landowners, and because of changes in topography that would not support a high-tower transmission line or the construction of access roads "due to steep or rugged terrain," according to the EIS document.

The project involves constructing dual, parallel 500-kilovolt transmission lines that would run more than 500 miles across federal, state, and private lands between central New Mexico and central Arizona. Two segments are expected to move forward as planned, with the construction kickoff anticipated in 2024: from the proposed Sunzia East Substation in Lincoln County, New Mexico, to the proposed Sunzia South Substation in Luna County; and moving into Arizona, from the proposed Willow Substation in Graham County, Arizona to the operational Tortolita Substation in Tucson in Pinal County.

However, the three proposed substations, along with other planned segments and substations along the route, are currently classified by Industrial Info as having a low probability (0-69%) of moving forward as planned.

The Sunzia line is being developed to terminate at the operational Pinal Central Substation, southeast of Phoenix, and extend along existing transmission lines to California. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power project and plant databases can click here for a full list of project reports related to the Sunzia transmission project, and click here for a profile on the operational Pinal Central Substation.

"The Bureau of Land Management is excited to announce the next stage for the proposed SunZia Southwest Transmission Project," said BLM New Mexico State Director Melanie Barnes, in a press release announcing the final EIS. "Renewable energy is a priority of the Biden administration and the Department of the Interior, and the Bureau of Land Management is committed to diversifying our state's renewable energy portfolio while at the same time combatting climate change and investing in communities."

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), renewable sources accounted for the largest share of New Mexico's in-state power generation in 2021--about 37%--with wind alone accounting for 30% of total in-state generation. And for the first time, renewable energy contributed more to the state's generation than either coal or natural gas.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).