Groundbreaking of the SunZia Transmission Project (Courtesy: Pattern Energy)

Pattern Energy Group, a developer and operator of renewable energy and transmission infrastructure, has started construction on its SunZia Transmission project.

The Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of the Interior, has issued its Notice to Proceed, allowing construction to begin on SunZia. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland joined senior elected and government officials to initiate the project’s groundbreaking at the SunZia East Converter Station in Corona, New Mexico.

SunZia Transmission is a 550-mile ± 525 kV high-voltage direct current transmission line between central New Mexico and south-central Arizona with the capacity to transport 3,000 MW of clean, reliable, and affordable electricity across Western states. SunZia will deliver clean power from Pattern’s SunZia Wind project, the largest wind project in the Western Hemisphere, which will be simultaneously constructed with SunZia Transmission.

Construction begins at the SunZia Transmission project in Corona, New Mexico (Courtesy: Pattern Energy)

“SunZia is the successful result of a truly collaborative approach that accomplished something many thought was impossible,” said Hunter Armistead, CEO of Pattern Energy. “We’re proud that SunZia is implementing industry-leading measures for environmental mitigation, including emerging technology and long-term conservation research. More than 2,000 workers will now roll up their sleeves and get to work on America’s largest clean energy infrastructure project, harnessing New Mexico’s powerful winds to deliver clean power to 3 million Americans.”

Throughout the development process, the SunZia team worked closely with the public, BLM, landowners, ranchers, numerous wildlife and environmental conservation groups, and others, to foster dialogue, listen to concerns and recommendations, and incorporate feedback. The resulting efforts range from restoring thousands of acres of wildlife habitat to investing in emerging technology and long-term conservation research. SunZia Wind has also established environmental best practices to reduce project impacts and study effective habitat restoration strategies in partnership with local and state experts, the company said.

SunZia Transmission will deliver clean power generated by Pattern’s 3,500 MW SunZia Wind facility, which is being constructed across Torrance, Lincoln, and San Miguel Counties in New Mexico. SunZia Transmission will enable SunZia Wind to supply clean power to Western states when demand is high.

Pattern partnered with federal and state land agencies on the SunZia Transmission route, as well as hundreds of private landowners. Federal land makes up over 30% of the total project route and includes lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. SunZia Transmission has also signed right of way agreements with the New Mexico State Land Office and the Arizona State Land Department; in each case, payments to these state agencies go to support education and other public institutions.

Pattern Energy recently announced that the SunZia Transmission and SunZia Wind projects are expected to generate $20.5 billion dollars in total economic benefit, which includes over $8 billion of direct capital investment, at no added cost to ratepayers, according to the results of an independent study conducted by the research firm Energy, Economic & Environment Consultants LLC. Together, the projects will generate an expected $1.3 billion in fiscal impacts that will go to governments, communities, and schools. These benefits are generated through sales and use taxes, property taxes, community benefit payments, and land payments to federal and state agencies.