BLM issues Record of Decision on Borderlands Wind Project in New Mexico
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SOCORRO, N.M.- The Department of the Interior (DOI) today announced the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has issued the Record of Decision (ROD) on the Borderlands Wind, LLC, proposal to construct, operate and decommission the Borderlands Wind Project (BLWP). The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) was released on March 11, 2020, analyzing the potential effects of the project including cultural, biological, socioeconomic, environmental, and visual.
The ROD approves Alternative 2A, a minor modification of the Preferred Alternative 2 from the FEIS. This project is a wind-powered electrical generation facility in western Catron County, N.M. near Quemado, N.M., and the Arizona–New Mexico border. The project consists of the construction, operation, maintenance and (eventually) decommission of 34 turbines and related ancillary facilities on approximately 16,648 acres of BLM-administered land. The turbines will be a maximum overall height of up to 630 feet and the ancillary facilities would include access roads, underground collection lines, fiber-optic communication, electrical transmission distribution lines and a substation/switchyard in support of the turbines that would generate up to 100 megawatts of power.
“This project will help New Mexico sustainably develop our energy and natural resources,” said Tim Spisak, BLM New Mexico State Director. “This renewable energy wind project on BLM-managed lands will increase income, employment, and revenue in Catron County.”
The ROD and other relevant documents have been made available at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/116245/510.
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.