RENEWABLE ENERGY
In late June, Pattern Energy confirmed that SunZia, the largest renewable energy infrastructure project ever undertaken in the US, is now fully operational. The project comprises an approximately 3.65GW wind farm and a 550-mile high voltage direct current transmission line. Together they are designed to deliver more power than the Hoover Dam which, for many years, was the country’ s largest clean energy installation.
At full capacity, SunZia is expected to supply enough electricity to power around one million American homes annually. Construction began in September 2023, though the project’ s roots stretch far further back.
“ SunZia becoming fully operational is a milestone more than 18 years in the making and one that I’ ve been fighting for since I first came to Congress,” said Martin Heinrich, US Senator for New Mexico, while commemorating the opening of the site.
“ Through a whole series of obstacles spanning over a decade and a half, we kept working to move it forward because we knew what it could mean for America’ s energy future and New Mexico’ s role in leading it. Now, New Mexico is home to one of the largest energy infrastructure projects in the Western Hemisphere.”
Solving the US’ s transmission problem SunZia’ s significance lies just as much in its ability to transmit energy as its capacity to generate it. SunZia’ s high-voltage direct current( HVDC) system can transmit large volumes of electricity efficiently over long distances using converter stations
at each end of the line. It is one of the first major HVDC systems built in the US in a generation.
“ Large-scale transmission is essential to meeting the West’ s growing energy needs and strengthening reliability across the grid,” said Elliot Mainzer, President and CEO of the California Independent System Operator.
“ Projects of this scale help deliver energy reliably to areas of rising demand, improve the movement of power across states and support a more resilient, flexible and affordable electric system. SunZia represents the kind of long-term infrastructure investment needed to serve customers today and prepare the grid for the future.”
64 August 2026