The Southwestern Power Group's (SWPG) sole reason for proposing SunZia and championing it, grew out of SWPG's need for transmission capacity for its gas fired, non-renewable, Bowie power plant (see Mick Meader's report). SWPG was very open about this and had this plan approved by the Southwest Area Transmission Planning Group (SWAT). When this wouldn't work with investors and SWPG decided to extend the line to central New Mexico, SWPG deliberately hid its intentions and need from the federal government to sell the project as a "renewable project". This is where the problems begin...

Greenwashing. See our NRCD's Information Quality Act Petition

• April 2012 – BLM is scheduled to release its environmental impact statement draft with recommended transmission line routes

The release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) has been pushed back to mid-April, 2012 from winter 2010. The DEIS is composed by the BLM based on research and recommendations made by a private contractor, Environmental Planning Group, which should include public input such as Cascabel Working Group's DEIS contributions.

Following the release of the DEIS is a 90-day public comment period

• BLM has been petitioned to correct the SunZia project’s scoping description.  Has SunZia green-washed itself for political appeal?

Their misleading marketing campaign, stating that it will transmit ‘primarily renewable’ electricity is the subject of an Information Quality Act Petition by our local [Redington and Winkleman] NRCDs

• Obama administration faces opposition in its plan to “fast-track” several powerline projects including SunZia
• The Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) has granted approximately $1/4 billion in federal loan guarantees to the SunZia project. 

SunZia project manager, Tom Wray, categorically stated at the Cascabel Community Center on January 13th, 2010, that “Not One Red Cent” of taxpayer monies would go toward the project.  Ironically, should SunZia go bankrupt, it will not have to repay "one red cent" of these funds, as happened with the failed Solyndra Project.

• Shaky economic footing. Could SunZia go bankrupt---just like the failed Solyndra, losing 250 million in taxpayer-backed monies?

The Working Group has composed a detailed letter explaining the reasons behind the high likelihood that the SunZia project will fail financially.  This letter has been sent to the Department of Energy and relevant leaders in Washington (and elsewhere) to persuade them to both rescind stimulus funding and to abort “fast tracking” requested by the Obama administration.

• SunZia has spent $199,000 lobbying Washington, in the first 3 quarters of 2011 alone
• Arizona SB1517 was defeated – SunZia’s failed attempt to bypass the Arizona Corporation Commission’s line siting process
• California governor told the Western Electricity Coordinating Council that no renewable energy imports are needed.  Where is SunZia’s market?

…not that SunZia offers “primarily renewable” energy now or in the probable future.  But California has a robust in-state market for renewable energy and sufficient in-state renewable resources to serve its entire electricity needs. Read the letter from the Senior Advisor to the [California] Governor for Renewable Energy Facilities to the WECC.

• Southline is a modern, environmentally aware project which has sought community feedback from the start (see one of their fliers, and also Mick Meader's report.)
• SunZia is an adversarial, old-school corporation which attempts to force its agenda on the public using political power (see our lobbying page and our Arizona Senate Bill 1547 page as examples) and clever, if not outright deceiving, public campaigns (see Information Quality Act Petition in the September and July news sections). Are they truly operating in the best interest of the public?

• January 13th, Cascabel Community Center - watch SunZia project manager Tom Wray categorically state that no taxpayer money will fund SunZia. Click here.
• Taxpayer monies now funding SunZia:
  • Approximately $1/4 billion(!) in federal loan guarantees from the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA)
    WAPA was authorized to award this money through the 2009 American Recovery and Renewal Act. This is federal stimulus money---exactly what Mr. Wray denies will be used for SunZia in the video above. And this was acquired before the project has been evaluated, approved, and a route selected! Even worse, should SunZia go bankrupt (certainly possible since Energy Capital Partners pulled out), it will not have to repay "one red cent" of these funds, as happened with the failed Solyndra Project.
  • Land leases on federal land that SunZia may pass through are subsidized by the taxpayers. See this article by Peter Else.
  • A misleading "green" campaign, promoted by the BLM (i.e., taxpayers). (see Information Quality Act Petition in the September and July news sections),