It had been under development for 16 years.

“Oh my goodness,” exclaimed Podesta. “Have we made no progress on that?”

After one year, construction has finally begun.

Similar to the other initiatives mentioned, SunZia had been experiencing prolonged delays due to disputes within the local community and government evaluations. It faced opposition from various groups, including birdwatchers, Native American tribes, and the U.S. Army. However, it was now being prioritized on Podesta’s list of tasks to be accomplished – the first step in what government officials refer to as the biggest investment ever made in upgrading the country’s electric grid.

By the end of the first term of President Biden, the government is expediting the allocation of over $30 billion in federal aid for transmission endeavors through the 2021 infrastructure legislation and the president’s climate law, known as the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. In late October, the Energy Department made known its pledges to buy $1.3 billion worth of electric power from three multi-state transmission projects, assuming the role of “anchor” tenant to expedite their development. The department also released a conclusive National Transmission Needs Study that identified specific locations for these projects.new power lines could qualify

Seeking additional support from the government.

SunZia, a project that was deemed a priority during John Podesta’s time as energy counselor for then-President Barack Obama, is once again making progress.

In June, after nine months of Podesta’s involvement with Biden’s team, a permit was issued by the Bureau of Land Management under the Interior Department, removing the final obstacle for construction. The project is expected to be completed by 2026.

At the ceremony for the start of construction on SunZia in September, located near Corona, New Mexico, in the windy area south of Albuquerque, Podesta and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland were joined by state representatives and investors to commemorate a project that was previously deemed unlikely to come to fruition.

The SunZia project, with a budget of almost $9 billion, is anticipated to be the biggest clean energy initiative in North America when it is finished in 2026. In the most optimal wind zone in New Mexico, approximately 1,000 wind turbines will be erected over an area 14 times bigger than Washington D.C. Additionally, the 550-mile transmission line will transport over 3,500 megawatts of power to the rapidly expanding Southwest region.

“The Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board, with assets totaling $420 billion, is the owner of Pattern Energy, the project developer for SunZia based in San Francisco. Hunter Armistead, the company’s chief executive, stated that the government took action to ensure we obtained necessary permits.”

Push from the top

In April, Americans for a Clean Energy Grid reported that SunZia and nine other significant transmission projects have made progress and are now at the beginning stages. This comes after multiple attempts over the course of several years. The organization supports expanding the grid to facilitate the delivery of renewable energy.

The goal of the expansion is to decrease customers’ electricity costs by alleviating grid congestion, while also decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and strengthening a power system that has been impacted by severe weather. This is particularly important for President Biden’s plan to significantly increase the use of renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and geothermal, which are often located far from high-demand areas in cities and suburbs.

A comprehensive study conducted by a team of researchers from Princeton University concluded that the capacity of the United States’ high-voltage grid, which spans 240,000 miles, would need to triple in order to achieve a net carbon emission of zero for the power system.

counted nearly a dozen reasons why big long-distance lines don’t get built. The buildout needed to support Biden’s climate goals would require more than 350,000 transmission towers, calculates former DOE senior adviser Melanie Kenderdine. Some projects have been quietly sidetracked by electric utilities that don’t want the competition more high-voltage lines would create. Others have been sidelined by governors who want local jobs from local clean energy development, the Brattle study found.

Federal laws, some of which were established as far back as 50 years ago, aim to safeguard the environment, endangered animals, and historical locations from development. These laws have established a intricate set of requirements that must be fulfilled before a power line can be constructed.

In a podcast interview this spring, Rob Gramlich, president of Grid Strategies and a transmission advocate, stated that it is often simpler to ask for additional studies and more information, but this can lead to a slow and gradual decline.

SunZia is also an example of this. Even though BLM gave final approval to Pattern, the builder, the agency put a temporary stop to site clearing in early November on a 50-mile section of the line’s route through the San Pedro River Valley in southern Arizona.

According to San Carlos Apache Tribe Chair Terry Rambler, the valley is not only a beloved green space in the Arizona desert for Southwest environmentalists and wildlife advocates, but it also holds significant religious, cultural, historical, and archaeological value for the Apache, O’odham, Hopi, and Zuni communities. In a letter to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) this year, Rambler emphasized the importance of preserving this oasis.

The indigenous groups expressed their opposition to BLM’s approval of the construction permit in the valley. They argued that BLM did not adhere to the mandate of consulting with them regarding potential harm to their cultural and ancestral practices. This was supported by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation at the federal level.

In November, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) granted Pattern Energy permission to continue their work in the valley. The BLM stated that they are dedicated to collaborating with Tribal communities and will strive to minimize any impacts from the SunZia transmission line in the San Pedro Valley.

Biden tasked Podesta with unraveling these complicated issues. Two past Democratic presidents had enlisted the troubleshooter to organize their administration, whether it was to handle an impeachment or address climate change.

Podesta is a manager with a wonky, technocratic name for the way he keeps projects on track: “systems of accountability management.” He’s also a creature of Washington: a canny, sharp-elbowed former chief of staff to Bill Clinton. He isn’t hired to fail, so the election defeat of Hillary Clinton in 2016 left Podesta, her campaign chair, incredulous. Podesta’s own hacked emails were at the center of an FBI investigation into Russian election interference.

The winner of that election, former President Donald Trump, pulled the United States out of the Paris climate accord. He dismantled clean energy initiatives Podesta had helped shape.

The current administration, led by President Biden, convinced 74-year-old Podesta to come out of retirement in order to speed up their ambitious plan for addressing climate change. Podesta noted that it has become clear over time that significant progress must be driven by those in positions of power.

Podesta stated that a major issue in the process of obtaining permits is that progress often comes to a halt with no one taking action. It is not anyone’s responsibility to push through these roadblocks.

‘Call-up zone’

our technology has advanced, our society has become increasingly reliant on computers and the internet.

As technology has progressed, our dependence on computers and the internet has grown.

The pages on the calendar flipped.

The SunZia project came to represent the overwhelming challenges faced by similar projects.

According to Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a strong supporter, influential individuals from our state assured me that this [line] would never come to fruition.

The project changed hands multiple times. SunEdison, the initial developer of the SunZia wind farm, declared bankruptcy in 2016. SouthWestern Power Group, the original developer of the transmission line, sold the project to Pattern Energy in 2022.

For over ten years, SunZia encountered resistance from the Army, tribes, and environmental organizations such as the National Audubon Society. Throughout this period, the primary developer, SouthWestern, a subsidiary of a large contractor based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, had to consider revising the project’s layout.

David Getts, the general manager of the project during SouthWestern’s management, admitted that their initial transmission project was challenging. He stated that they may have taken on more than they could handle as it was 500 miles in distance.

SouthWestern evaluated numerous potential routes and ultimately selected one that aimed to minimize expenses. However, this option ended up passing through the San Pedro River valley and another delicate wildlife habitat near the Rio Grande River in New Mexico.

During the initial stages, BLM objected to a potential route close to Tucson that would have resulted in the removal of housing in economically disadvantaged areas. This information was revealed in a lawsuit filed against the project by Peter Else, a resident of Arizona who has been actively opposing the project since 2009. Another option for the route was dismissed as it went against plans for restoring state grasslands, as mentioned in other testimonies.

According to the strategy document, this plan will only be successful if we have the means to transmit the required power to its destination.

According to Podesta, making sure the Interior Department addresses any remaining concerns has become a main focus.

The team at Interior focused on getting this back on course, according to him.

Haaland maintained the pressure.

According to Podesta, when discussing issues with Cabinet secretaries rather than lower-level employees, problems can be addressed efficiently. He also mentions that Cabinet secretaries typically do not focus on the specifics of project permitting, such as the case with SunZia, which has had a significant impact.

Armistead, CEO of Pattern, concurred. It is necessary for the leadership to commit to meeting these deadlines.