NMWF News:
Leaders of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation and other conservation organizations will discuss the evolution of their support for the SunZia project Aug. 12 in Albuquerque at the NMWF’s monthly Wildlife Wednesday presentation. The free event also will feature a video presentation on the project by Bryan Rogala, a NMWF board member and videographer.
SunZia, the largest clean energy project in North America, came online in June. The $11-billion wind farm and transmission line harnesses the power of the wind in New Mexico to meet soaring electricity demand in Arizona and California.
Pattern Energy, the project developer, started construction of the project in 2023 after nearly two decades of planning and permitting. The northern part of SunZia, located in San Miguel and Lincoln counties, has 242 wind turbines, while the southern part in Lincoln and Torrance counties has 674 turbines.
Before the SunZia Wind Project came online, net summer wind generating capacity in New Mexico totaled 3,997 MW. The new capacity from SunZia brings total wind capacity in New Mexico up to 7,647 MW. With this addition, wind accounts for 45 percent of the capacity mix in the state, followed by 19 percent from solar and 19 percent from natural gas capacity.
Most of the electricity generated at SunZia will be exported to Arizona and to Southern California. To export the power, Pattern Energy also built the SunZia Transmission Project – a 550-mile high voltage direct current transmission line that goes from central New Mexico to south-central Arizona.
Reconciling the nation’s need for clean energy with the SunZia project’s effects on New Mexico’s landscape and wildlife has forced the New Mexico Wildlife Federation and other major conservation groups in the state to do some soul-searching. Ultimately, conservation leaders have come to support the project – recognizing that without commitment to clean energy, all our nation’s water, land and wildlife face an increasingly bleak future.
The conservationists were involved in identifying a critical waterfowl area along the Rio Grande north of Socorro that Pattern Energy has purchased. The company will donate the 1,100-acre parcel to the New Mexico Department of Wildlife to manage to mitigate project impacts on sandhill cranes and other birds that fly along the river.
The following panelists plan to participate in Wednesday’s discussion:
Adam Cernea Clark, senior environmental and natural resources manager for Pattern Energy. Clark holds a J.D. degree from Northeastern University and other degrees. “I went to law school but not to be an attorney,” Cernea Clark said. “I wanted to make a difference in climate change, and law school was a path to that goal.”
Judy Calman, New Mexico policy director for Audubon Southwest. She holds a J.D. from the University of New Mexico and other degrees. Her experience includes 10 years as attorney for the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance. At Audubon, she focuses on improving state policies regarding water, wildlife, and renewable energy siting, as well as protection of sensitive bird habitat in south-east New Mexico, which is heavily affected by oil and gas.
Bryan Rogala, in addition to serving on the NMWF board, Rogala is the founder of Mountain Standard Creative, a video production company specializing in outdoor video, and the former video production manager at Outside Magazine. He got involved with NMWF in an effort to help conserve and protect the public land and wildlife he loves.
Mike Sullivan, a senior adviser to U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., for public lands and energy issues. During the SunZia project, Sullivan worked to make sure that both wind turbines and the associated transmission line were constructed with proper environmental mitigation measures in place.
The free Wildlife Wednesday presentation on the SunZia project will start at 5:30 p.m., Wed., Aug. 12, at the Marble Brewery NE Heights Taproom, at 9904 Montgomery Blvd. NE, in Albuquerque.