A Massachusetts-based company will supply hundreds of wind turbines to the SunZia Wind project in central New Mexico, an array touted as the largest in the western hemisphere.
GE Vernova was contracted by SunZia owner Pattern Energy to provide 674 turbines, the largest in the company’s history, estimated to generated 2.4 gigawatts of power.
The contract included the equipment and a long-term services deal, according to a company announcement.
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GE Vernova is a subsidiary of General Electric, headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts designed to build and service renewable energy projects throughout the U.S.
In 2021, the company then named GE Renewable Energy supplied 377 turbines producing 1,050 megawatts to Patterns Western Spirit Wind farms in Guadalupe, Torrance and Lincoln counties.
In total, SunZia will produce about 3.5 GW of energy at the wind farm in Lincoln, Torrance and San Miguel counties, bring the companies’ total capacity to about 4 GW of wind power in New Mexico.
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Internationaly, GE Vernova on Jan. 16 announced its power conversion business was equipping ships owned by the United Kingdom with hybrid engines as a means of decarbonizing the UK Ministry of Defense and on Jan. 15 said was hired to modernize gas plants in Kuwait – reducing carbon emission equivalent to 16,000 cars on the road.
SunZia project in New Mexico moves forward amid energy transition
The SunZia project also included a 550-mile transmission line sending the energy through southern New Mexico to a termination point in Pinal County, Arizona where it will then be sent into urban markets of southern California.
Pattern recently announced it received final approvals and investment funding to begin construction at the end of 2023, with it expected to go into service in 2026.
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Vernova Chief Executive Officer Scott Strazik said the project was bolstered by federal funding available through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a signature package of environmental and infrastructure legislation signed into law by President Joe Biden in August 2022.
Strazik said the bill created the “certainty” needed to increase investments in large-scale renewable energy projects like SunZia.
“We are pleased to support Pattern Energy on this monumental project that reinforces the key role wind power has in delivering renewable energy to meet the growing demand for power in the Western U.S. and in accelerating the energy transition,” he said.
“The project is a great example of how the policy certainty created by the IRA is helping to drive significant investments in the U.S. wind power market.”
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The turbines will be supplied using Vernova’s tower manufacturing facility in Belen, along with others in Pueblo, Colorado and Amarillo, Texas.
How will wind power project benefit New Mexico?
In total, Pattern estimated the wind and transmission projects will produce about $20.5 billion in economic benefits for New Mexico communities on a $16 billion investment in the state.
It will bring 100 permanent, and 2,000 temporary construction jobs to the state at the wind farm and along the transmission line’s route.
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Pattern CEO Hunter Armistead said the project would generate enough renewable energy for three million Americans, and that the manufacturing work was being completed in the U.S., driving domestic jobs.
“Nacelles and towers for the GE turbine are being domestically produced right here in the United States, helping SunZia create thousands of new jobs in manufacturing and construction,” he said.
Vic Abate, Vernova chief technical officer and CEO of its wind business said the project and others like will aid the U.S. in reducing pollution created by energy production.
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“These investments are aiding the country’s efforts to decarbonize the electric grid in support of climate change goals,” Abate said. “Mega projects like SunZia, coupled with the IRA, are enabling our continued investments in wind technology, domestic manufacturing, and product quality.”
Owners hope to allay conservation concerns of SunZia line’s route
The SunZia project was not without controversy since its design and federal review began in 2006.
The project went through several route adjustments, regulatory changes and shifted ownership to Pattern Energy in 2022.
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Concerns were raised chiefly for the transmission lines route through a river crossing near Socorro, which critics said could imperil migratory birds as it would cross the Rio Grande between the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge to the north and Bosque del Apache to the south.
Similar fears were voiced in Arizona and a crossing through the San Pedro River Basin.
In 2020, the project’s route was adjusted to avoid crossing through White Sands Missile Range, a move that appeared to alleviate some of the concerns in New Mexico.
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In August 2023, the Audubon Society released a report detailing the impacts of transmission lines on migratory birds, specifically mentioning SunZia as a “case study” in how developments can benefit conservation.
The reported noted the change to the line’s route to avoid the missile range also moved it out of the Rio Grande crossing, which the Society believed would risk collisions with migrating Sandhill Cranes.
Other technologies were also used like ultraviolet light-based systems to prevent collisions by making the line more visible to the birds, the report read.
It noted Pattern and other developers of SunZia collaborated with the Audubon society and conservation groups to address such concerns for the project.
“This approach is essential to optimize mitigation for birds, ensure the best data and science are used, and make projects into long-term successes worthy of Audubon’s support,” the report read.
Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on the social media platform X.
