Dive Brief:
- The developers of the 500-kV SunZia power line project between New Mexico and Arizona should bury part of the line or move it out of the way of a military range, according to U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M.
- A Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) study supports Defense Department concerns that the 500-mile line could interfere with operations at the White Sands Missile Range, Pearce said.
- In contrast, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-NM, said the study shows that there are solutions that would allow the line to move forward.
Dive Insight:
The SunZia project aims to deliver renewable generation from New Mexico to markets in California. It is one of the most advanced major interstate lines in the West but has hit a late snag over the Defense Department concerns about the line. The Bureau of Land Management delayed a decision on the line to see the results of the MIT study. We'll be watching to see if a compromise can be reached that will allow the project to move ahead.