A new report on the proposed SunZia transmission line project indicates that the line’s construction, as currently configured, depends on its ability to export renewable energy from New Mexico – especially wind and solar power – to markets in Arizona and California.
The SunZia proposal involves the construction of two high-voltage transmission lines extending from Lincoln County in central New Mexico to Pinal County in south central Arizona, as well as up to four new substations that would allow power to be added to, or taken from, the transmission line.
The report, Evaluating the SunZia Transmission Line Proposal, was developed in cooperation with the Sonoran Institute, based in Tucson, Arizona. The purpose of the report is to contribute an independent, unbiased analysis of the transmission line to better inform the perspectives of decision-makers and stakeholders evaluating the proposed project.