US greenlights major transmission line for renewable energy in Western states
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By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN
Associated Press
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The U.S. government has approved a proposed multibillion-dollar transmission line that would send wind-generated electricity from rural New Mexico to big cities in the West. The Interior Department announced its decision for the SunZia project on Thursday. It comes just about a year after an environmental review was completed as part of a broader effort by the Biden administration to clear the way for major transmission projects in the West. Siting and permitting for SunZia started more than a decade ago. The anchor tenant is California-based Pattern Energy, which has been busy building massive wind farms in central New Mexico.