Bureau of Land Management

Stories

SunZia wind and transmission project

Permitting Authority

For seventeen years, the idea of connecting New Mexico's powerful winds to California's power-hungry cities remained stuck in regulatory limbo. On September 1, 2023, construction finally began on SunZia, a $11 billion project that will become the largest clean energy infrastructure build in American history—a 550-mile high-voltage transmission line paired with the Western Hemisphere's biggest wind farm.

Updated May 27

The Western Arctic rule war: BLM’s 2024 NPR-A protections are officially gone

Rule Changes

Wrote the rule, then reversed it; now running leasing under the new baseline

BLM's rollback of the 2024 NPR-A protections isn't new news—but today is when it becomes real. As of December 17, 2025, the rescission is officially in effect, wiping out the Biden-era rule that tried to hardwire stronger guardrails into how the Western Arctic gets developed.

Updated May 15