A California firm just closed on $11 billion of financing to complete the massive wind and transmission project across New Mexico and Arizona.
The project SunZia, is 20 years in the planning, and once completed, would be the largest reported wind project in the Western Hemisphere, according to Electrek. Pattern Energy closed on the deal this week.
The wind project will have a 3,500-megawatt capacity and the capacity to transport 3,000 megawatts of power. It is reported the project will result in the employment of more than 2,000 workers during the construction phase, which is already underway. Final commissioning is expected during the first half of 2026, which is a quick turnaround for a project of this size, per Electrek.
The project had its opponents over the years. Finally in June of 2024, a federal judge allowed the project to move ahead after environmentalists and Native American tribes challenged it. U.S. District Judge Jennifer Zipps ruled at the time that the opponents were not only too late in their challenge but also ruled against their requests to a preliminary injunction. She determined the Bureau of Land Management had fulfilled its obligations to identify historic sites along the route of the SunZia transmission line. At the time, the project had a $10 billion price tag.
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