ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The SunZia project's road to commercial operation is facing a new round of controversy, this time from community groups that fear the transmission line from New Mexico to Arizona will inflict irreparable environmental damage, fundamentally disrupting wildlife and the livelihood of residents along the central Rio Grande.
The Albuquerque Journal reports the $2 billion project, first proposed in 2008, looks to build two 1,500-megawatt high-voltage lines running 520 miles (nearly 840 kilometers) from central New Mexico to Arizona to carry wind-generated electricity to Western markets.
Opponents of the project question how much renewable energy it would actually transport, whether wind developers using the line can realistically find markets for up to 3,000 megawatts of wind-generated electricity, and whether the benefits for New Mexicans are worth the costs.