6/18/2021
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BLM National NEPA Register
Comment Submission
Project: DOI-BLM-NM-0000-2021-0001-RMP-EIS - SunZia Southwest Transmission Project Document: 210416 Project Introduction_final 508.pdf
Submission ID: Sunzia-1-500141384
Comment
On behalf of the Santa Fe Green Chamber of Commerce, I am writing to demonstrate our support for SunZia’s Southwest Transmission Project. Our organization is dedicated to advancing sustainable and clean jobs in our community as well as the state, and this project checks all the boxes.
For years, we have worked to empower our local businesses to implement measures such as water conservation, 6/18/2021
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energy efficiency, and other available programs that will ensure our limited resources are being conserved while still benefiting our local economies. The SunZia project would accelerate similar efforts at a much larger scale.
Adding more renewable energy projects will greatly reduce our reliance on extractive industries, conserve water, bolster our economy, and create clean jobs.
With over 300 days of sunshine and abundant wind capacity, we have all the ingredients to bring forth a sustainable energy future. What we’re missing now are the utensils to move the energy to where it’s needed.
Great parts of our current transmission infrastructure are nearly a hundred years old and built to accommodate a smaller population. The SunZia line will have the capacity to move an estimated 4,500 MW of renewable energy and begin addressing the needs of our growing population.
Additionally, improving our transmission infrastructure will make New Mexico more marketable in the growing national renewable industry and attract future developers to bring their projects here.
Our communities across the state stand to benefit greatly from the SunZia Transmission Project, and for these reasons we urge you to approve the project.
Best regards,
Glenn Schiffbauer
Executive Director
Santa Fe Green Chamber of Commerce
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Name:Schiffbauer, Glenn
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Group or Organization Name: Not Provided
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Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment - including your personal identifying information - may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. (Withhold my personally identifying information from future publications on this project) - NO 405 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. NE
Albuquerque, NM 87102
505-242-6640
abqcharteracademy.org
Erik Bose
To whom it may concern:
The Albuquerque Charter Academy supports the SunZia Southwest Transmission Project. Our school has worked to implement energy efficiency to benefit our students and staff. Developing new renewable projects is the best way to maximize the use of our state’s energy efficiency and help fellow education facilities throughout the Western region.
Investing in new renewable industries has demonstrated time and again how thoroughly they can uplift our communities and education. With trying times these last couple of years, renewable projects have continued flourishing and providing much-needed support to our state’s economic wellbeing. The tax revenue brought in by these projects could help with school budgets, road construction, and other uses for the city.
Once built, the SunZia line will bring in thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in revenue.
Implementing similar technologies will lift the burden off individual residents or institutions to meet our various energy goals and open the door for future technologies that uplift our communities and reduce the strain on our limited resources. These projects are exactly what our state needs to provide equitable opportunities to communities across the region while sculpting a healthier future for our students and future generations to come.
We need to continue moving toward a future that supports our school systems. This transmission project will be one of the critical steps New Mexico needs to take to be a part of the renewable energy industry. For this reason, we ask that the SunZia Transmission line be approved without delay.
Respectfully submitted,
Erik Bose
Executive Director
ABQ Charter Academy
Arizona Corporation Commission
Public Comment Form
Utilities Division
1200 W Washington Street Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone: (602) 542 – 4251
Name: Date:
Address:
Email Address:
Phone Number: Phone Extension: Phone Type:
Alternate Phone Number: Alternate Phone Extension: Alternate Phone Type:
Company Name: Docket Number: Position
Docket Description
Opinion
Dionne Washington 6/28/2022 12:46:46 PM 1200 W. Vineyard Rd Phoenix, AZ 85041 (602) 317-9554 Work SunZia Transmission, LLC For To whom it may concern:
On behalf of Project Roots Arizona, we are writing today in support of the proposed SunZia Transmission Project and its preferred alternate route. As community leaders at the frontlines of addressing food insecurity in an urban environment prone to extreme temperatures, we have a unique understanding of the need for proper and improved resource distribution.
As the fifth most populated city in the country, it’s going to take structural infrastructure improvements to maintain the needs of our growing population. We are committed to providing nutrition to families who suffer food insecurity, and as forward thinkers rooted in the needs of our present communities we also look forward to future advancements that will take our mission to new levels.
Renewable technologies are something that could elevate our work by protecting our community gardens from the harsh summer sun or running our facilities where we teach kids to grow their own food. These goals are more possible if we begin building the infrastructure that can support these new loads, like with the SunZia project.
Not only will it provide greater energy sources to our communities, but the project will also protect our limited resources like water.
Conventional energy generation can use up to hundreds of gallons of water per megawatt generated while solar and wind use little to none. This is something that we as leaders in the urban agriculture community are greatly concerned about. Hotter temperatures and longer droughts mean less water available for both urban and rural farms and ranches.
As we continue working to provide for our low-income and homeless populations, it’s important that all of us keep building a new system that addresses each of our needs for survival - from urban farms like our community gardens to the quickly growing energy demand. Please support the SunZia Transmission Project.
Arizona Corporation Commission
Public Comment Form
Utilities Division
1200 W Washington Street Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone: (602) 542 – 4251
Name: Date:
Address:
Email Address:
Phone Number: Phone Extension: Phone Type:
Alternate Phone Number: Alternate Phone Extension: Alternate Phone Type:
Company Name: Docket Number: Position
Docket Description
Opinion
Steven Zylstra 8/31/2022 1:03:09 PM 2800 N Central Ave, Suite 1530 Phoenix, AZ 85004 [email protected] (480) 353-9277 Cell SunZia Transmission, LLC L-00000YY-15-0318-00171 For In the matter of the application of SunZia Transmission, LLC, in conformance with the requirements of Arizona Revised Statutes 40-360, et. seq., for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility Authorizing the SunZia Southwest Transmission Project, which includes the construction of two new 500kV transmission lines and associated facilities originating at a new substation (SunZia East) in Lincoln County, New Mexico, and terminating at the Pinal Central substation in Pinal County, Arizona. The Arizona Portion of the project is located within Graham, Greenlee, Cochise, Pinal and Pima Counties.
To whom it may concern:
In this moment of universal reckoning as to the widespread impacts of climate change, Arizona stands at the precipice of fostering a clean energy economy that brings new industries and creates stability in energy prices for Arizona families.
As the premier trade association for science and technology companies in Arizona, the Arizona Technology Council has 750 members from diverse industries and missions. Across the board, we have seen a sustained trend of setting new renewable standards and a desire to complement rapidly rising industries, like the electric vehicle industry, with a grid system powered by clean, renewable energy. Utility-scale solar and wind energy are now cheaper than conventional fuel generation and are expected to become more cost-effective as the technology continues improving in efficiency.
Being the sunniest state in the country, Arizona has the potential to power the region and meet the increasing demand for clean power, but we need to take steps to update our infrastructure to the capacity necessary to carry out these goals. This is where renewable transmission projects, like the SunZia Southwest Transmission Project, will play a significant role in moving our state to this future.
With the capacity to bring 4,500 megawatts of renewable energy online, SunZia would be the largest renewable energy project in the country. Being at the forefront of such an accomplishment would serve as a powerful incentive to the rest of the country in bringing their business here. The SunZia project itself is expected to create thousands of construction jobs and generate millions of dollars in tax revenue, but the indirect benefits are even greater when accounting for the boost in local businesses during construction and the jobs brought in by technology companies looking to site their centers in locations that meet their own clean energy goals.
On behalf of the Arizona Technology Council and our members, we strongly support efforts to transition towards more clean energy sources and move away from industries prone to boom-and-bust cycles. Our Arizona families deserve to have more stability in their energy consumption and prices. Renewable transmission projects like the SunZia line are exactly what our state needs to tap into these vast potentials. We urge you to support the SunZia line.
Sincerely,
Steven G. Zylstra
President + CEO
Arizona Technology Council + SciTech Institute
Blu
To whom it may concern:
On behalf of BluRok Farm, I am writing to express my support for the SunZia Transmission Project. In my short time developing a sustainably grown hemp farm and educating minority entrepreneurs on business planning, I have seen the start of a movement in this state that reflects my own values. These center on a path to welcoming new industries that go beyond to uplift our communities.
It is no longer enough for consumers to buy a product. They want to partake in a process that was sourced ethically, that heals the earth, that was built by people that reflect their own populations, and they especially want to support industries that set a strong foundation for many future generations to have access to enjoy. This is what I hope to expand with my farm, and this is what the renewable energy industry can be if we work quickly to build the foundation now.
The SunZia line is an important pathway to this future. During the construction phase, it will provide over 2,000 jobs in both states that have above-average wages and will boost local businesses with new customers. After completion, the line will be capable of bringing 4,500 megawatts of clean, renewable power onto our grid and eliminating over 2 million tons of carbon emissions from our atmosphere. Adding more renewable energy into our energy mix is especially important when considering how limited our water resources are right now since utility-scale solar and wind use little to no water for every megawatt generated.
The renewable energy industry is a crucial pathway to moving toward a clean energy economy that uplifts our communities and provides an equitable distribution of our wind and solar sources. We have the resources and the desire ready to move a new industry forward, and I ask that you approve this and future renewable projects as quickly as you can.
Sincerely,
LeVar Eady, Founder
BluRok Farm
634 North Jacobus Ave
Tucson, AZ 85705
www.communityshare.us
May 25, 2022
To whom it may concern:
CommunityShare would like to express our full support for the SunZia Southwest Transmission Project. We are a nonprofit consisting of educators, designers, social entrepreneurs, and professionals who believe young people deserve to live in a world that nurtures their full potential.
We are committed to uplifting students and inspiring them to partake in new industries and opportunities. These days, kids are highly aware of the technological advances that are improving our society. Just looking at the last two years with the COVID-19 crisis, which has created a necessary space to connect virtually has demonstrated how integral these advancements already are intertwined into our lives. Building on these foundations and leaning into these new opportunities is something that we here at CommunityShare are incredibly excited about.
STEM fields like those involved in the renewable energy sector are places where we have enthusiastically sought opportunities to showcase. As the fastest growing industry in the United States, we believe exposing students to what these jobs could look like would inspire a new workforce of engineers and technicians. The economic benefits are also something that will take our education to new levels and complement our program greatly.
With over $150 million in revenue partially coming into our base county in Pima County, we know the educators that are part of CommunityShare will make sure each potential funding is utilized to the greatest extent possible. This combination of bringing new opportunities to show our students and providing resources for our inspirational educators is the exact mixture we need to foster a new generation of leaders ready to partake in this exciting new industry.
This project has been nearly 15 years in the making, and we believe these preferred alternate routes have the best chance of fostering a new advanced future while minimizing the impact to our lands. For these reasons and many more, we ask that you support the SunZia Transmission Project.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Josh Schachter
Director, CommunityShare
6/25/2021
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BLM National NEPA Register
Comment Submission
Project: DOI-BLM-NM-0000-2021-0001-RMP-EIS - SunZia Southwest Transmission Project Document: 210416 Project Introduction_final 508.pdf
Submission ID: Sunzia-1-500141465
Comment
The Estancia Valley Economic Development Association (EVEDA) fully supports SunZia’s Southwest Transmission Project.
New Mexico has been the country’s leader in energy production and diversification for all energy platforms, moving into an even larger renewable energy sector of wind and solar resources.
The upside continues to be substantial. By supporting the industry, we can reap the economic, job and climate 6/25/2021
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benefits of renewable energy, rather than exporting these investments to neighboring states.
The industry produces billions of dollars in investments and thousands of jobs for rural New Mexicans, along with tens of millions of dollars in fiscal revenue for state and local economies. The monetary benefits to our schools through State land leases has proven to be a positive incentive to all New Mexicans.
As New Mexico emerges from the COVID pandemic, we’re optimistic about the prospects for a growing economy and stronger communities from one end of the state to the other. At EVEDA, we think the renewable energy industry should be part of that economic future, and we urge the BLM to offer its support as well.
Sincerely,
Myra Pancrazio
Executive Director
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Name:Pancrazio, Myra
Address:Not Provided
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Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment - including your personal identifying information - may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. (Withhold my personally identifying information from future publications on this project) - NO 6/30/2021
1/2
BLM National NEPA Register
Comment Submission
Project: DOI-BLM-NM-0000-2021-0001-RMP-EIS - SunZia Southwest Transmission Project Document: 210416 Project Introduction_final 508.pdf
Submission ID: Sunzia-1-500141506
Comment
To whom it may concern:
On behalf of Indigenous Lifeways (ILW), we are writing to express our support and share our thoughts on the proposed SunZia Transmission Line.
6/30/2021
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Having worked directly with our local communities for decades to provide resources and elevate the concerns of food insecurity, social justice, and education, we understand better than most what kind of impact a lack of infrastructure can have.
Our state is blessed with an abundance of resources to provide clean energy, but unfortunately, this energy is not equitably distributed as it currently stands. The recent COVID-19 pandemic shined a light on this fact and furthermore demonstrated how integral it is as a basic human need. Our own communities in the Gallup area can attest to this.
While improving our infrastructure and diversifying our energy away from extractive industries is paramount to the longevity of our communities, the means in which we get there also need to be considered. For this reason, we urge you to consider and mitigate as much as possible the impact to our lands and particularly to sacred cultural sites and tribal lands. This includes investigating where the materials for the project are being sourced from and whether they are mined by unethical means. One example of this is the Rio Tinto copper mine company, which is attempting to mine the sacred site Oak Flat.
All these things and many more must be researched before starting the SunZia project. We are in urgent need to tap into more sustainable sources to mitigate climate change and care for our dwindling resources, but it’s also important that we do so in a manner that does not leave a path of destruction in its wake.
For these reasons, we ask that the SunZia project move forward on the condition that the greatest possible care will be taken of our communities and our land.
Sincerely,
Krystal Curley
Executive Director
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Indigenous Lifeways letter to BLM.pdf
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Submitter 1
Name:Curley, Krystal
Address:Not Provided
Group or Organization Name: Not Provided
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Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment - including your personal identifying information - may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. (Withhold my personally identifying information from future publications on this project) - YES
6/29/2021
1/2
BLM National NEPA Register
Comment Submission
Project: DOI-BLM-NM-0000-2021-0001-RMP-EIS - SunZia Southwest Transmission Project Document: 210416 Project Introduction_final 508.pdf
Submission ID: Sunzia-1-500141486
Comment
As Director of the Middle Rio Grande Economic Development Association (MRGEDA), I am writing to express my support for the SunZia Transmission Line.
As a nonprofit organization who has worked collaboratively across multiple counties in the Middle Rio Grande region, we understand better than most about the need to expand industries that fit the needs and interests of our 6/29/2021
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communities. SunZia is a strong example of an up and coming sector that will reap great benefits to our region and uplift the existing industries that sustained our families.
Two key industries that MRGEDA is committed to expanding are renewable energy and agribusiness. SunZia will greatly benefit both industries by means of landowner payments to our farmers whose land is in the path of the transmission line, and by enabling 4,500 MW of renewable energy to be brought online and transported across the state. Beyond directly uplifting these industries, the transmission line demonstrates our need to work collaboratively across the board to ensure the prosperity of all New Mexicans, but especially those in our rural regions who have long been the backbone of our state’s economy.
Though our communities have long demonstrated a strength and resilience that came to light best through a global pandemic, it is time we start bringing new opportunities that ensure our families don’t need to struggle to make ends meet.
We are grateful for the opportunity to participate in the start of a long conversation and look forward to future chances to elevate the voices of our communities.
If you would like more information on the initiatives MRGEDA is working on, please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or 575-517-0310.
Sincerely,
Kirstin Keller
Executive Director
Middle Rio Grande Economic Development Association
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MRGEDA letter to BLM.pdf
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Submitter 1
Name:Keller, Kirstin
Address:Not Provided
Group or Organization Name: Not Provided
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Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment - including your personal identifying information - may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. (Withhold my personally identifying information from future publications on this project) - NO 6/21/2021
1/2
BLM National NEPA Register
Comment Submission
Project: DOI-BLM-NM-0000-2021-0001-RMP-EIS - SunZia Southwest Transmission Project Document: 210416 Project Introduction_final 508.pdf
Submission ID: Sunzia-1-500141408
Comment
June 21, 2021
To Whom It May Concern:
The New Mexico Social Justice & Equity Institute (NMSJEI) appreciates the opportunity to express our support for SunZia’s Southwest Transmission Project and the economic, educational and environmental benefits that will 6/21/2021
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help create stronger communities throughout New Mexico.
At NMSJEI, we work in rural parts of the state to develop leaders and form partnerships that foster safe, vibrant, healthy communities. We focus on environmental, social justice and other issues that impact indigenous peoples, and we advocate for public policies that create wholesome lives for all New Mexicans.
We’re proud of the progress we’ve made, but there are still many inequities to be righted. One of the biggest hurdles we face as we continue to effect positive change is a lack of financial resources – a challenge that only became worse during the COVID pandemic.
Fortunately, thanks to New Mexico’s abundance of wind and sun, the state has an opportunity to reap the vast economic, employment and climate benefits of renewable energy through projects like the one proposed by SunZia.
Here’s an opportunity to continue our state’s leadership as an energy producer through safe, clean, renewable energy development – and to create thousands of rural jobs and much-needed local tax revenue in the process.
Those are benefits that can help NMSJEI accomplish its ambitious social and environmental goals for years to come.
We reiterate our support for growing the renewable energy industry in New Mexico and we encourage the Bureau of Land Management to join us.
Respectfully,
Anna Rondon, Director
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NMSJEI Letter to BLM.docx
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Name:Rondon, Anna
Address:Not Provided
Group or Organization Name: Not Provided
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Michelle Lujan Grisham • Governor
Alicia J. Keyes • Cabinet Secretary
NM Office of Military Base Planning and Support
Joseph M. Montoya Bldg
1100 S. St. Francis Drive
Santa Fe, NM 87505
Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico State Office
Project Manager, Adrian Garcia
301 Dinosaur Trail
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87502
Project Name: SunZia Southwest Transmission Project
NNEPA Number: DOI-BLM-NM-0000-2021-0001-RMP-EIS
Mr. Garcia,
On behalf of The Office of Military Base Planning and Support (OMBPS) and the four Department of Defense (DOD) installations in New Mexico, I am providing our comments in support of the SunZia Southwest Transmission Project’s (SunZia) application to amend their existing right-of-way grant.
As a cooperating agency for this review, we would like to confirm that our previous concerns related to SunZia’s transmission route have been resolved.
The OMBPS supports the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) because the Preferred Alternative Route (PAR) accommodates our most critical military concern by moving the SunZia transmission route outside the White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) Northern Call-Up Area. The PAR protects WSMR’s unique capabilities for testing and validating new and emerging military technologies. These unique capabilities cannot be duplicated on any land-based test and training range.
The PAR also avoids alternative routes that would have had a negative impact on Helicopter Landing Zones required by the 58th Special Operations Wing at Kirtland Air Force Base, located North of the Sierra Ladrones Wilderness Area.
Thank you for the opportunity to support your NEPA process and provide input to ensure New Mexico’s military installations remain viable for the Nation’s defense today and in the future.
Sincerely,
Richard Glover
NM Office of Military Base Planning and Support
6/21/2021
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BLM National NEPA Register
Comment Submission
Project: DOI-BLM-NM-0000-2021-0001-RMP-EIS - SunZia Southwest Transmission Project Document: 210416 Project Introduction_final 508.pdf
Submission ID: Sunzia-1-500141407
Comment
21 June 2021
On behalf of New Mexico’s Rural Education Advancement Program (REAP), we write today to voice our enthusiastic support for SunZia’s Southwest Transmission Project and the enormous economic, educational and environmental benefits it will bring to New Mexicans young and old. 6/21/2021
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By virtue of our organization’s mission, we’d like to emphasize how important this project will be to advancing educational opportunities for our state’s youth, particularly as they relate to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs and, ultimately, STEM-related careers.
At REAP, we bring STEM programs to K-12 students in rural parts of the state who might not otherwise have access to STEM education. As you can imagine, the COVID pandemic created huge challenges for our organization, but we see promising days ahead for New Mexico, in large part because of the prospects for the renewable energy industry.
Safely and responsibly leveraging New Mexico’s abundant wind and solar resources will serve as a welcomed economic development stimulus for communities across the state, particularly in many of the rural areas that REAP serves.
We see multiple benefits for New Mexico’s youth. The income and tax revenue generated by thousands of new jobs will help REAP increase its reach and expand its STEM-related offerings. In turn, we hope students will gravitate to STEM-related courses of study in high school and beyond and, in turn, choose a career in one of these high-paying, high-demand fields.
And let’s not forget the environmental benefits of renewable energy development. By investing in these projects today, we’re creating a cleaner, more environmentally friendly future right here at home for generations of New Mexicans to come.
Like REAP, we hope the Bureau of Land Management recognizes the promise of the renewable energy sector to New Mexico’s economic future and will support the SunZia project.
Yours for a safe, clean, prosperous New Mexico,
Kim Berlat and Creighton Edington
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REAP Letter to BLM.pdf
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Name:Not Provided
Address:Not Provided
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Rural Education Advancement Program
Kimberly A. Berlat, Executive Director
Creighton Edington, STEM Specialist
[email protected]
On behalf of New Mexico’s Rural Education Advancement Program (REAP), we write today to voice our enthusiastic support for the preferred alternative route amendments to the SunZia’s Southwest Transmission Project and the enormous economic, educational, and environmental benefits it will bring to New Mexicans young and old. By virtue of our organization’s mission, we’d like to emphasize how important this project will be to advancing educational opportunities for our state’s youth, particularly as they relate to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programs and, ultimately, STEM-related careers.
At REAP, we bring STEM programs to K-12 students in rural parts of the state who might not otherwise have access to STEM education. As you can imagine, the COVID pandemic created huge challenges for our organization, but we see promising days ahead for New Mexico, in large part because of the prospects for the renewable energy industry.
Safely and responsibly leveraging New Mexico’s abundant wind and solar resources will serve as a welcomed economic development stimulus for communities across the state, particularly in many of the rural areas that REAP serves. We see multiple benefits for New Mexico’s youth.
The income and tax revenue generated by thousands of new jobs will help REAP increase its reach and expand its STEM-related offerings. In turn, we hope students will gravitate to STEM-related courses of study in high school and beyond and, in turn, choose a career in one of these high-paying, high-demand fields. And let’s not forget the environmental benefits of renewable energy development. By investing in these projects today, we’re creating a cleaner, more environmentally friendly future right here at home for generations of New Mexicans to come.
Like REAP, we hope you recognize the promise of the renewable energy sector to New Mexico’s economic future and will support the SunZia project.
Yours for a safe, clean, prosperous New Mexico,
Kim Berlat and Creighton Edington
220 N. Main St. | P.O. Box 849 | Roswell, New Mexico 88202-0849 | 575.622.1975 www.chavescounty.net
May 2, 2022
To the Bureau of Land Management:
The Roswell-Chaves Economic Development Corporation stands in full support of the proposed preferred alternative route for the SunZia Transmission Line. For the past several years, our organization has been committed to helping local businesses grow and new businesses take root.
While not in the direct path of the proposed line, Chaves County will still expect to see a great level of benefits to our local businesses in the form of an influx of customers coming in from the construction phase of the project. The jobs generated by this initial building stage are not to be overlooked. About 2,600 construction jobs and over 40 permanent jobs are estimated to be created over the project's lifespan. This is an opportunity for residents to be employed in high-wage and family-supporting positions while also bringing in new customers to local businesses.
SunZia Transmission Line has the potential to be the largest renewable energy project in the country. The economic impact on our region goes beyond the physical project as the renewable energy market becomes more competitive. Developers will look toward other areas with existing infrastructure to accommodate their wind and solar projects if SunZia is not built. The 4,500 MW transmission line will serve as a beacon to the industry, demonstrating the Southwest is open for business.
We support the development of such infrastructure because doing so will make our communities more competitive in enticing developers to bring their future renewable projects here. These projects provide family-supporting wages and generate millions in revenue, which benefit our schools, fix our roads, and countless other public services. Knowing that SunZia developers have worked collaboratively with stakeholders and local leaders also makes us confident that such projects will greatly benefit our communities.
Our state cannot miss out on this multi-billion-dollar investment opportunity. Our areas will see immense direct and indirect benefits with this infrastructure in place and for this reason, we ask that you approve the SunZia application.
Sincerely Yours,
Michael Espiritu
Michael Espiritu, IOM
President
Interfaith Power & Light
New Mexico
& El Paso Region PO Box 27162, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87125 [email protected] www.nm-ipl.org To whom it may concern:
As faith leaders from New Mexico and El Paso, Texas we are writing to share our thoughts on the proposed SunZia Transmission Project and preferred alternate route. For the past several years, we have been at the forefront of renewable energy advocacy in our state. We led our communities in passing the Energy Transition Act, which established New Mexico as the third state in the country to pass 100% clean energy legislation. Protecting our frontline communities who face the most severe impacts of climate change is a moral imperative and building the infrastructure to support our renewable energy goals is a crucial first step that we must take as quickly and considerately as possible.
The climate crisis is one of the greatest challenges our future generations will have to face, both spiritually and physically. Carbon emissions from the burning of fossil fuels exacerbate the impacts of climate change and simultaneously pollute our air, land, and water. As spiritual leaders, we believe all life is sacred and as such we must be stewards of our lands so future generations of people, animals, and plants may have the same standards of living and dignity as those before us. Transitioning away from these polluting industries is essential, but it must be done in collaboration with communities and their needs.
Progress at the stake of destruction is still immoral. Our country has a history of creating and advancing at the expense of Native Peoples’ displacements, at the tearing down of natural habitats, and of burdening low-income, rural, and BIPOC communities with the maintenance and repercussions of these advancements. We cannot continue this cycle. As people of faith, we are called to lead to better paths that protect all Creation during these moments of historical transitions. The potential to eliminate over two million tons of fossil fuels is one we cannot forsake, and we need to make sure to build this foundation in a manner that minimizes the impact on all life in its development and honestly respects and listens to the voices of those who may have concerns to try to come to compromises for all who are involved and affected.
New Mexico and El Paso Region Interfaith Power and Light supports projects like the SunZia Transmission line that move our earth towards a cleaner and more sustainable future, but we ask that you take into consideration the protection of Creation, existing resources, sacred sites and the voices of the communities most directly affected.
To Bureau of Land Management:
On behalf of the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce, we write to express our strong support for the SunZia Southwest Transmission Project. In our 120-year history, we have led our community toward economic prosperity, and projects like the SunZia line are the kind of advancements we need to continue paving the way.
Businesses across the country are increasingly caring about meeting various levels of renewable energy goals. Across every level, from large companies like Facebook to local jobs implementing their own sustainability goals, showing real work done to help meet these goals is one of the most significant incentives we can provide. The renewable energy industry continued to grow and maintain a steady revenue stream for the surrounding communities.
Thousands of construction workers mean thousands of new customers coming in and boosting our tourism industry. An estimated $200 million from the SunZia project in fiscal revenue will benefit our state. Once construction is complete, these renewable projects will participate in a lucrative renewable energy market. Having the SunZia Transmission in place will give our states a competitive edge.
Our great Chamber has a history of understanding the needs of the times and adapting to keep up. Renewable energy development will play a significant role in our future markets, and building the necessary infrastructure now will make sure our regions can keep up with the demand. For these reasons, we ask that you support the SunZia Southwest Transmission Project.
Sincerely,
Bridget L Dixson
President & CEO
Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce
To whom it may concern:
On behalf of Valencia Renewables, we are writing in support of the SunZia Transmission Line and proposed route. We are a grassroots organization that has facilitated renewable energy and energy efficiency measures in Valencia County and nearby municipalities and strongly support the rapid expansion of renewable energy.
For several years we have educated our community leaders on the notion that renewable energy is an ideal solution to saving money. Over the last ten years, utility-scale solar and wind have seen a 90% and 70% drop in cost, and they are now cheaper than all conventional fossil fuel generations mechanisms. It follows that having more renewable energy on the grid will ultimately save taxpayers money while greatly reducing the amount of fossil fuel emissions released into our atmosphere and exacerbating the effects of climate change. Our fragile desert environments are the most at risk of straining our already limited resources, which is all the more concerning when considering the significant agriculture industry built in the area. Luckily, this same climate region contains an abundance of solar and wind potential.
New Mexico is the second sunniest state in the country and when considering our wind potential, we have the opportunity to be leaders in renewable energy. With over 300 days of sunshine, the potential renewable energy development would make it possible for our communities to have cheap and reliable energy generated from fully inexhaustible resources.
However, we will all miss out on this potential if we do not build out the infrastructure necessary to carry it out.
A few months ago, another renewable transmission line was built close to our community. The Western Spirit Line was completed in December 2021 and now carries 800 MW of wind power from central New Mexico into our grid system. In the year before its completion, a third of our county’s revenue came from construction, of which a significant portion could be attributed to the project. The revenue coming in from these renewable projects is an important boost to our rural communities, which have suffered disproportionately from the COVID-19 pandemic than our urban counterparts.
Having seen firsthand how quickly our communities can reap the benefits of renewable projects - both financially and environmentally - we fully support the development of renewable infrastructure across all other areas. We ask that you allow more families to partake in the renewable market and move our planet towards an inhabitable future.