Giant 3.6 gigawatt onshore wind farm claims title of biggest renewable project in US history

The developers of a 3.6 gigawatt (GW) onshore wind farm in New Mexico say the mammoth project is now fully operational and capable of generating and delivering more power than the iconic Hoover Dam hydroelectric project.

US renewable energy developer Pattern Energy announced the milestone for SunZia wind farm last week, the largest clean energy infrastructure project in US history, harnessing New Mexico’s abundant and constant winds.

The project is made up of 916 3.5 megawatt (MW) wind turbines stretching across over 500,000 acres of land and connected to the grid in Arizona by a 550 mile (885 km) high-voltage DC (HVDC) transmission line, where the electricity is subsequently fed to states in the region, including California.

Construction of the project began back in 2023 following almost two decades of permitting and planning and now spans three counties in New Mexico. Now that it is complete, it can deliver enough electricity to power approximately one million homes.

Image Credit: Vestas, via LinkedIn

“SunZia proves that we can still build the consequential infrastructure this country needs,” said Hunter Armistead, CEO of Pattern Energy.

“We did this the right way, we did it on time and on budget – in genuine partnership with the local communities and landowners who trusted us, with the environmental stewardship this unique landscape deserves, and with the determination to see something through that many thought was too big and too complex to finish.”

SunZia’s full operation is a landmark moment for more than just its headline-grabbing highlights, considering as it comes at the same time as the Trump administration goes out of its way to slow or halt permitting for renewable energy projects.

Despite this, construction has been able to continue and SunZia will now begin feeding clean electricity across the south-west of the United States, delivering clean and affordable electricity as well as the grid infrastructure needed to bolster the country’s ageing grid.

“Large-scale transmission is essential to meeting the West’s growing energy needs and strengthening reliability across the grid,” said Elliot Mainzer, president and CEO of the California Independent System Operator (ISO).

“Projects of this scale help deliver energy reliably to areas of rising demand, improve the movement of power across states and support a more resilient, flexible and affordable electric system.

“SunZia represents the kind of long-term infrastructure investment needed to serve customers today and prepare the grid for the future.”

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