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Meeting June 29 on SunZia transmission lines
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| This Sun Zia Southwest Transmission Project map shows the possible route of one or two 500-kilovolt-transmission lines in southeast Arizona. (PHOTO COURTESY / Adrian Garcia/BLM/New Mexico State Office) |
By Carol Broeder/Arizona Range News
Public input is sought for the SunZia Southwest Transmission Project, a proposed 460-mile-long high voltage power transmission line across southern Arizona and New Mexico.
The project would primarily transport electricity generated from renewable energy to western power markets.
It will either be one high-voltage 500 kilovolt (kv) line or two parallel lines, said External Affairs Chief Hans Stuart with the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of the Interior.
The Bureau of Land Management will hold a public meeting in Willcox on June 29.
Sun Zia's proposed transmission line route would originate from a new substation site in either Socorro or Lincoln Counties in New Mexico, and would end in Pinal County, Ariz., he said.
The proposed line - or parallel lines - would be located on federal, state, and private lands, Stuart said.
The preferred path the lines will follow brings them into southern Arizona just North of Bowie, according to information obtained by Dale Boehm from the Sun Zia website.
They will tie into a new substation, known as Willow Sub, near Highway 191 and the Graham-Cochise boundary, allowing for power transfer into existing Tucson Electric Power (TEP) transmission lines, said Boehm, describing them as larger than TEP's current 345kV lines.
The lines will then proceed north past Artesia, angle across Highway 191 near Swift Trail, then skirt the base of Mt. Graham to ultimately connect into the Phoenix markets near Gila Bend, Boehm said.
Several alternate routes are also listed, most of which show the line passing through the Willcox area, and either up the San Pedro River or through the Klondyke area, he said.
The Sun Zia website lists Southwestern Power Group as the project owner and operator, said Boehm.
It also lists TEP, Salt River Project (SRP), Energy Capital Partners and Shell Wind Energy, Inc. as joining with Southwestern Power Group on this project, he added.
Some conservation groups are applauding the proposal by SunZia Transmission, LLC.
"We support responsible development of renewable energy and hope this transmission line will help bring new wind and solar online in New Mexico and Arizona," said Alex Daue, renewable energy coordinator for The Wilderness Society.
"We look forward to continuing to work with the project developers, agencies, and local communities to ensure the line supports renewables while protecting the Rio Grande, wildlife, and wilderness values," he said in a statement issued May 29, when the BLM formally announced its intent to prepare an environmental analysis supporting the proposal and to seek public comment.
SunZia has spent the last year working with conservationists and other groups to craft a proposal that both harnesses renewable energy and safeguards wildlife and wild places in the southwest, Daue said.
"Clean, renewable energy is the key to confronting global warming and safeguarding the American West," said Jeremy Nichols, climate and energy program director for WildEarth Guardians.
"The sooner the SunZia transmission project can help bring more renewable energy online, the better," he said.
The BLM will hold nine open-house meetings in New Mexico and Arizona along the proposed transmission line study corridor, giving the public opportunity to review the proposal and project information before submitting comments and resource information to the agency.
The BLM's Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process will study likely impacts from the project and identify ways to avoid and minimize them.
Once the EIS is complete, SunZia will be able to move forward to construct its transmission line.
The Willcox meeting will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, June 29 in the Valley Telecom Conference Room, 752 E. Maley St.
Other area scoping meetings will be held in Safford, Wednesday, June 24 at the Manor House Convention Center, 415 East Highway 70; and Lordsburg on Tuesday, June 30 at the Special Events Center, 504 2nd Street. All meetings will be 5 to 8 p.m.
"Scoping meetings will provide the public an opportunity to learn more about the project, share comments and concerns, and identify issues and alternatives to be considered during the EIS process," said Linda Rundell, BLM-New Mexico State Director.
BLM staff and SunZia employees will be available at the meetings to explain project details and gather information from interested individuals or groups, she added.
The final agency decision for the proposed route, which would involve decisions of federal right-of-way designations, will only affect public lands administered by the BLM.
Comments can also be made to the BLM via the BLM Project Website at http://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/prog/more/lands_realty.html, via the project e-mail address at NMSunZiaProject@blm.gov, or in writing to the Bureau of Land Management, SunZia Transmission Line Project, and P.O. Box 27115, Santa Fe, NM 87502-0115.
The project would primarily transport electricity generated from renewable energy to western power markets.
It will either be one high-voltage 500 kilovolt (kv) line or two parallel lines, said External Affairs Chief Hans Stuart with the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of the Interior.
The Bureau of Land Management will hold a public meeting in Willcox on June 29.
Sun Zia's proposed transmission line route would originate from a new substation site in either Socorro or Lincoln Counties in New Mexico, and would end in Pinal County, Ariz., he said.
The proposed line - or parallel lines - would be located on federal, state, and private lands, Stuart said.
The preferred path the lines will follow brings them into southern Arizona just North of Bowie, according to information obtained by Dale Boehm from the Sun Zia website.
They will tie into a new substation, known as Willow Sub, near Highway 191 and the Graham-Cochise boundary, allowing for power transfer into existing Tucson Electric Power (TEP) transmission lines, said Boehm, describing them as larger than TEP's current 345kV lines.
The lines will then proceed north past Artesia, angle across Highway 191 near Swift Trail, then skirt the base of Mt. Graham to ultimately connect into the Phoenix markets near Gila Bend, Boehm said.
Several alternate routes are also listed, most of which show the line passing through the Willcox area, and either up the San Pedro River or through the Klondyke area, he said.
The Sun Zia website lists Southwestern Power Group as the project owner and operator, said Boehm.
It also lists TEP, Salt River Project (SRP), Energy Capital Partners and Shell Wind Energy, Inc. as joining with Southwestern Power Group on this project, he added.
Some conservation groups are applauding the proposal by SunZia Transmission, LLC.
"We support responsible development of renewable energy and hope this transmission line will help bring new wind and solar online in New Mexico and Arizona," said Alex Daue, renewable energy coordinator for The Wilderness Society.
"We look forward to continuing to work with the project developers, agencies, and local communities to ensure the line supports renewables while protecting the Rio Grande, wildlife, and wilderness values," he said in a statement issued May 29, when the BLM formally announced its intent to prepare an environmental analysis supporting the proposal and to seek public comment.
SunZia has spent the last year working with conservationists and other groups to craft a proposal that both harnesses renewable energy and safeguards wildlife and wild places in the southwest, Daue said.
"Clean, renewable energy is the key to confronting global warming and safeguarding the American West," said Jeremy Nichols, climate and energy program director for WildEarth Guardians.
"The sooner the SunZia transmission project can help bring more renewable energy online, the better," he said.
The BLM will hold nine open-house meetings in New Mexico and Arizona along the proposed transmission line study corridor, giving the public opportunity to review the proposal and project information before submitting comments and resource information to the agency.
The BLM's Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process will study likely impacts from the project and identify ways to avoid and minimize them.
Once the EIS is complete, SunZia will be able to move forward to construct its transmission line.
The Willcox meeting will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, June 29 in the Valley Telecom Conference Room, 752 E. Maley St.
Other area scoping meetings will be held in Safford, Wednesday, June 24 at the Manor House Convention Center, 415 East Highway 70; and Lordsburg on Tuesday, June 30 at the Special Events Center, 504 2nd Street. All meetings will be 5 to 8 p.m.
"Scoping meetings will provide the public an opportunity to learn more about the project, share comments and concerns, and identify issues and alternatives to be considered during the EIS process," said Linda Rundell, BLM-New Mexico State Director.
BLM staff and SunZia employees will be available at the meetings to explain project details and gather information from interested individuals or groups, she added.
The final agency decision for the proposed route, which would involve decisions of federal right-of-way designations, will only affect public lands administered by the BLM.
Comments can also be made to the BLM via the BLM Project Website at http://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/prog/more/lands_realty.html, via the project e-mail address at NMSunZiaProject@blm.gov, or in writing to the Bureau of Land Management, SunZia Transmission Line Project, and P.O. Box 27115, Santa Fe, NM 87502-0115.
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The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of willcoxrangenews.com.
Barbara Boehm wrote on Jun 18, 2009 3:08 PM: