The SunZia Wind and Transmission Project is an $11 billion integrated renewable energy and infrastructure mega-development spanning across New Mexico and Arizona. Comprising the largest wind project in the Western Hemisphere and a 550-mile high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line, it is designed to harness and deliver clean power to densely populated markets in the western United States. Financed by a historic capital raise in late 2023, the development involves the installation of over 900 wind turbines in central New Mexico—generating upwards of 3,500 megawatts—paired with a 3,000 MW transmission corridor. Following its groundbreaking in 2023, the project is currently advancing through full-scale construction, utilizing advanced Voltage Sourced Converter technology to maximize grid stability. Expected to commence commercial operations in 2026, the SunZia initiative is projected to supply clean energy to approximately 3 million Americans while generating billions in regional economic benefits.

This strategic drive toward high-capacity energy infrastructure is also being realized in Southeast Texas, where Entergy Texas has officially broken ground on the Legend and Lone Star power stations. These two new generation facilities will add over 1,200 megawatts of dispatchable capacity to the regional grid—enough to power 300,000 homes. Located in Port Arthur and Cleveland, the projects represent a combined investment that will generate $2.7 billion in economic activity during construction. Both stations are expected to be operational by 2028, serving as a critical pillar of the “STEP Ahead” plan to add 2.4 GW of new generation capacity to meet the demands of a rapidly growing coastal industrial corridor.

Project Overview

Type: Integrated onshore wind farm and high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line

Total Investment: Approximately $11 billion (representing the largest clean energy infrastructure project in U.S. history)

Wind Farm Location: Central New Mexico (spanning Torrance, Lincoln, and San Miguel counties)

Transmission Route: A 550-mile corridor connecting central New Mexico to the Pinal Central Substation in south-central Arizona

Wind Generation Capacity: Over 3,500 MW

Transmission Capacity: 3,000 MW transmitted via a ±525 kV HVDC line

Turbine Count: Over 900 advanced, high-efficiency wind turbines

Offtaker Agreements: Output is largely secured through long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with major western utilities and California community choice aggregators

Job Creation: Employs over 2,000 workers during peak construction and will create over 100 permanent operational and maintenance roles

Economic Impact: Expected to generate $20.5 billion in total regional economic benefit (including direct, indirect, and induced impacts) over its lifespan

Construction Start: September 2023

Target Commercial Operations (COD): 2026

Project Team

Owner / Developer: Pattern Energy

Co-Developer (Transmission): New Mexico Renewable Energy Transmission Authority (RETA)

Key Equity Sponsors: Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) and Macquarie Asset Management

Wind Farm EPC Contractor: Blattner Energy (a Quanta Services company)

Transmission EPC Contractor: Quanta Services

HVDC Systems Provider: Hitachi Energy (supplying advanced Voltage Sourced Converter – VSC technology)

Turbine Suppliers: GE Vernova (supplying 674 units totaling 2.4 GW) and Vestas (supplying 242 V163-4.5 MW units)

Transmission Line Engineering: POWER Engineers

Independent Technical Advisor: DNV

Financing Consortium: A massive syndicate of global lenders including BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole, CoBank, Desjardins, ING, MUFG, Natixis, Société Générale, and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation

Key Energy Offtakers (Customers): Shell Energy North America, University of California, San Diego Community Power, Silicon Valley Clean Energy, and Clean Power Alliance

Reported 29th July 2022: Construction on the SunZia Power Transmission project in New Mexico has received a boost, through an investment of over US$ 8bn from Pattern Energy. Therefore, Pattern Energy has acquired partial ownership of the project and is working alongside SunZia Transmission. Both companies have also partnered with the New Mexico Renewable Energy Transmission Authority (RETA) on this privately funded project.

The SunZia Power Transmission project covers construction on a 3,000+ MW wind facility in New Mexico and 2 transmission lines. These 500-mile transmission lines will be used in distributing wind-generated electricity from Central New Mexico to Arizona. Thereby, providing 4,500 MW of renewable energy from New Mexico to the Arizonian and Californian markets. 

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The SunZia Power Transmission project will consist of a 3,000-MW DC line and a 1,500-MW AC line. The 3,000-MW DC line will be owned by Pattern upon completion. While Southwestern Power, an anchor tenant of SunZia, will build and own the 1,500-MW AC line. Based on the agreement made between Southwestern Power and SunZia in 2017, Pattern become a primary user of the second line. In order to generate wind-wind-generated electricity for various markets.

Pattern’s investment brought fresh impetus to the SunZia Power Transmission project

Pattern’s investment was massive and included purchasing building rights to one of the transmission lines for the SunZia Power Transmission project. This move pumped new life into a project, which was previously delayed for nearly 16 years due to government permitting processes. Especially since the transmission line’s route was originally intended to pass through the northern part of White Sands Missile Range. At that time, this was the cause of the long-running dispute that the U.S Department of Defense had with SunZia.

After reaching an agreement to bury segments of the line at White Sands, the SunZia Power Transmission project was finally approved. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approved the project in 2015. However, it was hindered yet again in 2018 because the line’s route was likely to affect wildlife in the region. In the end, the developers proposed rerouting the entire east-west segment of the line. The new route continues northward and crosses the river south of Belen,  to avoid the wildlife refuges along the Rio Grande.

Timeline for the project

In 2020, BLM began amending the previous permits issued for the SunZia Power Transmission project. This process is currently still in progress. But according to Pattern’s project development director, Jeremy Turner, the company is certain BLM’s final decision will come by early 2023. They expect BLM to approve the final permitting for the new route by next spring. Turner said this would enable the company to start construction on the transmission line and wind farms by April 2023.

The SunZia Power Transmission project is expected to create over 2,000 construction jobs. Another 150 permanent jobs will also be created for system operations and maintenance roles. Depending on when the permits are finalized next year, Pattern hopes to complete the construction on the lines by 2025.  While construction on the wind facility is expected to be completed by 2026.