Here comes the SunZia

Something is going down in New Mexico, and it has nothing to do with space ships and little green men. But it’s not getting enough press.

There is a wind farm being built there. And, as an energy infrastructure undertaking, it’s big. Hoover Dam big.

Growth in the renewable industry has slowed a bit in recent months, but don’t tell that to General Electric and its various partners involved in SunZia wind power farm. It’s said to be the largest wind project in the Western Hemisphere.

According to the Associated Press, GE Vernova says it represents the largest on-shore wind turbine order received by the company both in quantity and in the amount of electricity it will generate from the 674 turbines that make up the project.

It’s scheduled to come online in 2026; construction is already underway. A multibillion-dollar transmission line will deliver the electricity to more populated areas on the West Coast, and the first towers for the line are expected to be cemented in place this fall.

It’s part of a phenomenon in the United States that has provided thousands of jobs to laborers and continues employing others during the operational phase of the project, which could last as long as the wind blows.

In December, the U.S. Department of Energy reported $180 billion in new or expanded clean energy manufacturing projects across the nation. However, the focus for wind energy production looks to be heading offshore. American Clean Power, an industry advocacy group, expects less land-based wind to be added in the U.S. by the end of the year.

As Mark Twain said, “The rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated.” So are rumors of the demise of the wind energy industry. The SunZia project alone may not save the world, but to the laborers who are building the facility and the workers who will operate it and their families, it may mean the world.

Keep it coming.