Date: Thursday, May 18, 2023
Contact: Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov
Washington – The Home Office Bureau of Land Management (BLM) today announced that record of decisions Upon completion, the project will transport up to 4,500 megawatts of primarily renewable energy from New Mexico to markets in Arizona and California.
The project marks another milestone for the Biden-Harris administration. Effort Accelerate grid upgrades to reduce energy costs for consumers, prevent blackouts in the face of extreme weather, create high-paying union jobs, and achieve a 100% clean grid by 2035. It’s about making progress toward achieving President Biden’s goal of making it happen.
“The Department of the Interior is committed to expanding clean energy development to address climate change, strengthen America’s energy security, and provide high-paying union jobs,” it said. Laura Daniel Davis Assistant Chief of Staff for Land and Mineral Administration. “Through strong engagement with states, cities and tribes, we will play our part in government-wide efforts to diversify the country’s renewable energy portfolio while fighting climate change and investing in our communities. I am proud of
From rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, to pushing more than $470 billion into private-sector manufacturing and clean energy investment in the United States, to creating high-paying jobs and construction, President Biden’s investment policy in America is helping the American economy. aims to grow from the bottom-up and middle-out. A clean energy economy that fights climate change and builds community resilience.
“We are delighted to announce this exciting milestone for the SunZia Southwest Transmission Project,” said Mr. BLM New Mexico Director Melanie Barnes. “This effort represents an important step in the development of our country’s renewable energy and transmission infrastructure.”
The SunZia Southwest transmission project consists of two planned 500-kilovolt transmission lines spanning approximately 520 miles of federal, state and private land between central New Mexico and central Arizona. The permitted route originates at the planned substation in Torrance County, New Mexico and terminates at the existing Pinal Central Substation in Pinal County, Arizona. The project involves Lincoln, Socorro, Sierra, Luna, Grant, Hidalgo, Valencia, and Torrance counties in New Mexico and Graham, Greenlee, Cochise, Pinal, and Pima counties in Arizona. cross the county
BLM completed The review period for this project is less than two years from notification of intent to record of decision. This is he one of the final steps a BLM needs to take before a project proponent can officially break ground.
Since 2021, BLM has approved 35 projects (10 solar, 8 geothermal and 17 power plants) on approximately 23,396 acres of BLM-managed land. These projects are expected to produce 8,160 megawatts of electricity, which he says is enough to power more than 2.6 million homes.
BLM is currently processing 74 proposed utility-scale land-based clean energy projects on public lands in the western United States. This includes solar, wind, and geothermal projects, as well as interconnected power station transmission lines critical to proposed clean energy projects on non-federal land. Together, these projects have the potential to add over 37,000 megawatts of renewable energy to the western power grid. BLM has also preliminarily reviewed over 150 applications for solar and wind development and 51 applications for wind and solar energy testing.
BLM manages vast public lands that contribute significantly to the country’s renewable energy portfolio. To facilitate the development of these energy sources, BLM provides sites for the development of environmentally friendly renewable energy on public land. Efficient permitting of renewable energy and transmission from our public lands is aligned with the Biden Harris Administration’s goal of a carbon-free electricity sector by 2035 and the 25 GW in the 2020 Energy Act. critical to accomplishing Congress’ mandate to permit. Reduce solar, wind and geothermal power generation on public lands by 2025 at the latest.
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