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SunZia fights 'green' requirement for new line

Posted at 8:41 AM, Feb 01, 2016
and last updated 2016-02-01 10:41:05-05

The group in charge of a proposed $2 billion transmission line that would carry electricity generated by wind and solar in New Mexico the Arizona and beyond is fighting against a requirement to guarantee it will put renewables on the line.

The Arizona Daily Star reports that opponents of the 515-mile-long SunZia Southwest Transmission Project want 50 percent of one of two lines to be set aside for only renewable energy.

SunZia officials say such an order would violate federal law forbidding power lines from discriminating against energy suppliers.

The power-line proposal is slated to go before the Arizona Corporation Commission in Phoenix on Tuesday, where commissioners will consider the renewable requirement while weighing whether to grant a certificate authorizing constructing.