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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)-- Pattern Energy (San Francisco, California) had reason to celebrate earlier this week when a U.S. district judge in Arizona rejected a request from Native American tribes and environmental groups for an injunction or restraining order against construction of the SunZia power transmission line, a planned, 550-mile line in New Mexico and Arizona that will deliver thousands of megawatts of renewable energy to Arizona and California.
At the heart of the request to stop construction was a 50-mile stretch of the planned power line that plaintiffs argued would disturb ancestral villages and sacred sites. However, Judge Jennifer Zipps ruled that the request for an injunction came years too late, as the U.S. Bureau of Land Management completed its approval of the transmission line's path in 2015, and it is long past the time that objections to the line's route can be considered.
The 500-kilovolt SunZia line will have both overhead and underground elements. Most of the multibillion-dollar project will consist of two parallel, overhead single-circuit lines through much of New Mexico and parts of Arizona. However, a 60-mile stretch between the planned SunZia South substation near Deming, New Mexico, and another substation near Lordsburg, New Mexico, will run underground. Power ultimately will be delivered to the Palo Verde hub to connect with the California Independent System Operator's system.
The judge's ruling paves the way for construction to proceed, and the transmission line is expected to be in service in 2026. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can click here for the related project reports.
But where will the power come from for this extra-high-voltage line? Pattern Energy's answer is the SunZia windfarm, under construction in New Mexico's Lincoln, San Miguel and Torrance counties. Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firm Blattner Energy Incorporated (Avon, Minnesota) began construction on the windfarm earlier this year, preparing the site for the placement of an estimated 900 wind turbines to provide total generation of more than 3,000 megawatts (MW). The windfarm is expected to begin operating in 2026, when the transmission line is in place. Subscribers can click here for more details about the project.
At least one power purchase agreement is in place for the windfarm's output. In November last year, the Clean Power Alliance (CPA) (Los Angeles, California) signed an agreement to purchase 575 MW of power from the facility for a 15-year period. The CPA is an aggregator that provides power to 30 municipalities in Southern California.
The transmission line could deliver more power along its route than can be provided by the SunZia windfarm, and New Mexico is full of smaller renewable energy projects that could help deliver the clean energy needed to meet California's lofty emission-reduction goals. Examples include Revolve Renewable Power's solar plant with accompanying battery storage in Lordsburg, near the intended site of the SunZia substation. The solar portion of the plant would generate up to 225 MW, while lithium-ion technology would allow for 60 MW of power when the sun isn't shining. The facility is expected to be in place in 2026. Subscribers can learn more by clicking here.
At least one planned New Mexico wind project rivals SunZia in scale and includes a power transmission line. U.S. renewable energy giant Invenergy LLC (Chicago, Illinois) is making plans for the Spinneret Wind Energy Center in Union County. The project remains some years out, with construction expected to begin in 2026, putting the facility on track for completion in 2029. As envisioned, the facility would house up to 750 turbines to provide more than 3,000 MW of power.
Carrying the windfarm's power to the Four Corners area of New Mexico would be a transmission line (Invenergy's largest planned transmission project), an overhead single-circuit, 230-kV line spanning 400 miles across the state. Construction on this segment of Invenergy's planned project also is expected to begin in 2026, with completion anticipated in time to capture power from the massive windfarm. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project reports on the Spinneret windfarm and transmission line.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Power Project Database can click here to view reports for all of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.
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).
At the heart of the request to stop construction was a 50-mile stretch of the planned power line that plaintiffs argued would disturb ancestral villages and sacred sites. However, Judge Jennifer Zipps ruled that the request for an injunction came years too late, as the U.S. Bureau of Land Management completed its approval of the transmission line's path in 2015, and it is long past the time that objections to the line's route can be considered.
The 500-kilovolt SunZia line will have both overhead and underground elements. Most of the multibillion-dollar project will consist of two parallel, overhead single-circuit lines through much of New Mexico and parts of Arizona. However, a 60-mile stretch between the planned SunZia South substation near Deming, New Mexico, and another substation near Lordsburg, New Mexico, will run underground. Power ultimately will be delivered to the Palo Verde hub to connect with the California Independent System Operator's system.
The judge's ruling paves the way for construction to proceed, and the transmission line is expected to be in service in 2026. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can click here for the related project reports.
But where will the power come from for this extra-high-voltage line? Pattern Energy's answer is the SunZia windfarm, under construction in New Mexico's Lincoln, San Miguel and Torrance counties. Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firm Blattner Energy Incorporated (Avon, Minnesota) began construction on the windfarm earlier this year, preparing the site for the placement of an estimated 900 wind turbines to provide total generation of more than 3,000 megawatts (MW). The windfarm is expected to begin operating in 2026, when the transmission line is in place. Subscribers can click here for more details about the project.
At least one power purchase agreement is in place for the windfarm's output. In November last year, the Clean Power Alliance (CPA) (Los Angeles, California) signed an agreement to purchase 575 MW of power from the facility for a 15-year period. The CPA is an aggregator that provides power to 30 municipalities in Southern California.
The transmission line could deliver more power along its route than can be provided by the SunZia windfarm, and New Mexico is full of smaller renewable energy projects that could help deliver the clean energy needed to meet California's lofty emission-reduction goals. Examples include Revolve Renewable Power's solar plant with accompanying battery storage in Lordsburg, near the intended site of the SunZia substation. The solar portion of the plant would generate up to 225 MW, while lithium-ion technology would allow for 60 MW of power when the sun isn't shining. The facility is expected to be in place in 2026. Subscribers can learn more by clicking here.
At least one planned New Mexico wind project rivals SunZia in scale and includes a power transmission line. U.S. renewable energy giant Invenergy LLC (Chicago, Illinois) is making plans for the Spinneret Wind Energy Center in Union County. The project remains some years out, with construction expected to begin in 2026, putting the facility on track for completion in 2029. As envisioned, the facility would house up to 750 turbines to provide more than 3,000 MW of power.
Carrying the windfarm's power to the Four Corners area of New Mexico would be a transmission line (Invenergy's largest planned transmission project), an overhead single-circuit, 230-kV line spanning 400 miles across the state. Construction on this segment of Invenergy's planned project also is expected to begin in 2026, with completion anticipated in time to capture power from the massive windfarm. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project reports on the Spinneret windfarm and transmission line.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Power Project Database can click here to view reports for all of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.
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).
