Photo: Hitachi Energy
SunZia, an $11 billion wind-and-power-line project and one of the largest US clean energy transmission projects ever built, is officially online.
Pattern Energy and Hitachi Energy announced that the SunZia Transmission line is now fully operational, carrying renewable electricity from New Mexico to customers across the Southwest.
The 550-mile high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line can move up to 3,000 megawatts (MW) of power from the SunZia Wind project in New Mexico to Arizona and customers across the western grid. That’s enough electricity for around 1 million US homes and comes at a time when power demand is climbing due to data centers, electrification, and industrial growth.
While the giant 3.65-GW, 916-turbine SunZia Wind has grabbed plenty of headlines, getting that electricity to where it’s needed is just as important. The new transmission line makes that possible, moving large amounts of wind power over long distances with relatively low energy losses.
The project is also a major milestone for US grid infrastructure. The ±525-kilovolt HVDC line is the largest voltage source converter-based HVDC installation in the US and one of the largest in the world.
Another benefit is its ability to help grid operators deal with the so-called “duck curve” – when solar production falls in the evening, but electricity demand remains high. Because the HVDC system can quickly adjust power flows, it can deliver more wind power during those hours and reduce reliance on fossil-fuel power plants.
The system is also designed to support grid stability during changing conditions, including weather-related disruptions.
SunZia’s impact is likely to be substantial. The project is expected to avoid roughly 9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions in its first full year of operation. According to the companies, that’s equivalent to taking about 3 million gasoline-powered cars off the road for a year.
Elliot Mainzer, president and CEO of the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), said:
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.
Read more: In a first, wind and solar generated more power than gas globally in April 2026
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