BLM authorizes renewable energy transmission line in Doña Ana County
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LAS CRUCES, N.M. – In an effort to improve the nation’s energy infrastructure and help meet President Biden’s goal of a zero-carbon electricity sector by 2035, the Bureau of Land Management has approved the La Mesa Gen-Tie Project in Doña Ana County, southeast of Las Cruces in Anthony, New Mexico.
The decision record and finding of no significant impact grants El Paso Electric Company a right-of-way to construct, operate, and maintain a 24-kilovolt generation interconnection (gen-tie) line and access road across public land. The 4.7-mile gen-tie line will serve as an interconnection between the 20 megawatt La Mesa Solar Facility and the Anthony substation. The gen-tie line will cross just over two miles of BLM-managed public land.
“Bureau of Land Management New Mexico is thrilled to play a role in fulfilling the President’s vision of deploying sustainable clean energy from our nation’s public lands,” said BLM New Mexico State Director Melanie Barnes. “The authorization of this gen-tie line will help us support this effort by adding 20 megawatts to the grid.”
The BLM manages vast stretches of public lands that have the potential to make significant contributions to the nation’s renewable energy portfolio. To promote our clean energy goals, the BLM is authorized to issue grants and leases for environmentally sound development of renewable energy on public land and new transmission routes to connect into the grid.
A 30-day public comment period on the draft environmental analysis for the La Mesa Gen-Tie Project closed in October 2022. The decision record, environmental assessment, and other associated documents are available for viewing through the ePlanning website at: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2017528/510, or by visiting the BLM Las Cruces District Office at 1800 Marquess St., Las Cruces, N.M. 88005. For more information, please contact BLM Project Manager Paula Montez at pmontez@blm.gov.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.