Pattern Energy Group Secures US$11B To Develop 550-Mile SunZia Transmission And 3,515 MW SunZia Wind In New Mexico And Arizona
By Breanna Sandridge, Senior Editor
Pattern Energy Group closed on US$11 billion in non-resource financing and began full construction on SunZia Transmission and SunZia Wind, which will combine to form the largest clean energy infrastructure project in United States history.
SunZia Transmission is a 550-mile ±525 kV high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line between central New Mexico and south-central Arizona with the capacity to transport 3,000 MW of clean electricity across the Western states.
The power being delivered through this project will be generated by Pattern Energy’s 3,515 MW SunZia Wind facility, which is under construction across Torrance, Lincoln, and San Miguel Counties in New Mexico. According to Pattern Energy, this will be the largest wind project in the Western Hemisphere and will produce enough energy to power the needs of more than 3 million Americans.
The project financing includes an integrated construction loan and letter of credit facility, two separate term facilities, an operating phase letter of credit facility, a tax equity term loan facility, and a holding company loan facility.
“Our hope is this successful financing of the largest clean energy infrastructure project in American history serves as an example for other ambitious renewable infrastructure initiatives that are needed to accelerate our transition to a carbon-free future,” said Hunter Armistead, CEO of Pattern Energy. “Construction is well underway on this historic project that will deliver clean power with a generation profile that complements abundant solar generation available across the Western United States.”
SunZia Transmission and Wind are set to employ more than 2,000 workers on-site during construction, including heavy equipment operators, electricians, laborers, and others.
Pattern Energy has selected Quanta Infrastructure Services Group as the transmission line EPC Contractor and Hitachi Energy as the HVDC supplier. For SunZia Wind, Blattner Energy will take on the role of EPC Contractor, while the wind turbines will be supplied by GE Vernova and Vestas.
The SunZia projects are scheduled to be operational in 2026.
