Biggest ever U.S. clean energy project is complete after nearly two decades

(Reuters) The biggest ever U.S. clean energy infrastructure project, an $11 billion wind farm and transmission line in New Mexico, is fully operational after nearly two decades of permitting and construction, said owner Pattern Energy Group.     

SunZia is a 3,650-megawatt wind farm and 550-mile (885-km) transmission line that will carry power from central New Mexico to south-central Arizona. About two-thirds of the electricity will then be sent west to customers in California.

SunZia can serve the annual needs of about 1 million homes and is three times larger than the next two biggest U.S. wind farms, according to the Energy Information Administration.

The project began development in 2008 and underwent years of permitting hurdles before Pattern started construction in 2023.

Pattern said its completion was a milestone for the U.S. power industry, which is experiencing soaring demand that requires both new generation and the wires to deliver electricity where it is needed.

"SunZia proves that we can still build the consequential infrastructure this country needs," Hunter Armistead, Pattern Energy's chief executive, said in a statement.