Native American tribes fight US over a proposed $10B renewable energy transmission line
By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN
Associated Press
Work on a $10 billion project to funnel renewable energy across western states has come to a halt in southwestern Arizona. Federal land managers temporarily suspended work on the SunZia transmission project last week after Native American leaders raised objections. In a letter to the Bureau of Land Management, the Tohono O’odham Nation says federal land managers allowed for bulldozers to begin clearing a stretch of the San Pedro Valley and demolishing at least one historic site. Places within the valley hold religious and cultural significance for several tribes in the Southwestern U.S. Federal officials have lauded the SunZia project, saying it will play a key role in meeting President Joe Biden’s energy agenda.
