The investment was awarded through the Transmission Facilitation Program, which was created by Sinema’s bipartisan infrastructure law
WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema announced that major funding from Sinema’s bipartisan infrastructure law will be used to support the completion of the Southline Transmission Project – a 175-mile transmission line from Las Cruces, New Mexico to Tucson, Arizona.
The investment was awarded through the Transmission Facilitation Program, which was created and funded by Sinema’s landmark bipartisan infrastructure law – legislation Sinema wrote, negotiated, and led through Congress. Once completed, the Southline Transmission Project will strengthen resilience along the electrical grid, keep prices stable in Arizona, and boost access to renewable energy.
“I led the bipartisan infrastructure law to deliver lasting results that solve challenges for the communities I serve. Using funds we secured in the bipartisan infrastructure law, completing the Southline Transmission Project will create strong careers, fuel a healthy economy, and ensure our state thrives for generations to come,” said Sinema.
In September, Sinema urged U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm to support the Southline Transmission Project, citing its importance in delivering clean energy to growing markets in Arizona that currently rely on fossil fuels.
The project – which aims to be shovel-ready by the end of 2024 – is a double circuit, high-voltage transmission line spanning from south of Las Cruces, New Mexico to east of Tucson, Arizona. Specifically, it will connect essential electrical transmission systems between states by establishing new facilities between Afton, New Mexico and Apache, Arizona substations as well as upgrade the Western Arizona Power Administration (WAPA) facilities between the Apache and Vail, Arizona substations.
The investment is made possible by Sinema’s bipartisan infrastructure law, which funds the Transmission Facilitation Program to help overcome the financial hurdles associated with building new, large-scale transmission lines and upgrading existing transmission lines.