A California-based company expects to select contractors late this year or early next year that can deliver a 550-mile interstate transmission line project.
Pattern Energy Group LP anticipates it will begin construction in 2023 on the SunZia Transmission project, which it acquired from SouthWestern Power Group, according to a July 18 news release. As part of the deal, SouthWestern Power Group will maintain ownership of a second transmission line, named the El Rio Sol Transmission line, according to the release.
Headquartered in San Francisco, Pattern Energy will work with the New Mexico Renewable Energy Transmission Authority to develop the transmission line project. The 3,000 megawatt, bi-directional transmission line will connect south-central Arizona to central New Mexico and the SunZia wind farm.
Under development by Pattern Energy, the wind farm in New Mexico's Lincoln, Torrance and San Miguel counties is expected to generate more than 3,000 megawatts and use the SunZia transmission line to provide renewable electricity for 2.5 million people each year, according to the company.
Pending final approvals, Pattern Energy expects to begin full construction of the SunZia Transmission and SunZia Wind projects in 2023. The company expects to complete and begin operating the SunZia Transmission line in 2025, and the SunZia wind farm in early 2026.
The SunZia Transmission and SunZia Wind projects will create more than 2,000 construction jobs during peak construction. Once operational, up to 150 permanent staff will operate and maintain the projects.
Pattern Energy's operational portfolio includes 35 renewable energy facilities. Six of those are New Mexico wind farms that total about 1,595 megawatts. But the SunZia wind farm will be the company's seventh and largest wind farm in the state. It will bring total capacity in New Mexico to more than 4,500 megawatts of wind power.
Together, the SunZia transmission line and the SunZia Wind project will amount to an investment of more than $8 billion, according to Pattern Energy. Both projects are privately funded, according to the company.
Pattern Energy and the New Mexico Renewable Energy Transmission Authority previously partnered to build the Western Spirit Transmission line which delivers power from four wind farms. In December, Public Service Company of New Mexico purchased the 155-mile transmission line to deliver electricity generated from Pattern's Western Spirit Wind facilities in central New Mexico to the electric grid managed by PNM near Albuquerque.
The Western Spirit Wind farm totals more than 1,050 megawatts of clean power capacity, or enough to meet the electricity needs of 900,000 Americans each year, the company said.
