Representatives of the SunZia Southwest Transmission Project recently presented an update on its planned 570-mile transmission line and substations project to the Pinal County Board of Supervisors.
SunZia will also host an open house about the project before a hearing with the Arizona Line Siting Committee, and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management will hold public meetings concerning the project’s Environmental Impact Statement over the summer.
Questions from the Board included the contact range for resident notifications, potential traffic impact management during construction and a compensation structure should the project require any assistance from County personnel. Residents on either side of the planned route will be notified, and the company will coordinate with the Arizona Department of Transportation and area highway officials to develop all traffic management plans as the need arises. The County will be compensated for any staff assistance needed.
The County will receive nearly $142K for use of its right of way. The planned route follows the Earley Road alignment from the Picacho Reservoir to an area near Eleven Mile Corner in the western part of Pinal County. The project will begin in central New Mexico, where SunZia identified an estimated wind energy capacity of more than 4,500MW. (Source)