Pattern Energy has started construction on its SunZia Transmission line. The 885km, 525kV high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line will run between central New Mexico and south-central Arizona.
The transmission line will carry power from the 3.5GW SunZia wind farm in New Mexico, which is due to come online in 2026 and which is also being developed by San Francisco-based Pattern.
Approval for construction was given by the US Department of the Interior.
US interior secretary Deb Haaland joined senior elected and government officials to start the project's groundbreaking at the SunZia East Converter Station in Corona, New Mexico.
"The SunZia Transmission Project will accelerate our nation's transition to a clean energy economy by unlocking renewable resources, creating jobs, lowering costs, and boosting local economies," said Haaland.
Together, the transmission line and wind farm is the largest clean energy infrastructure project in the US, Pattern claimed.
The wind project will be the largest single-phase wind project in the western hemisphere.
It is to be constructed in tandem with the transmission line. The two projects are expected to create 2,000 jobs, generate more than $20 billion in economic impact, and increase the reliability of the western grid.
.png)
.png)
