The New Mexico State Land Office plans to tack on $125,000 right-of-entry fees for the SunZia transmission-line project when it enters state trust lands, Commissioner of Public Lands Aubrey Dunn announced Friday. The move by the New Mexico State Land Office is the latest twist in the SunZia saga. The 515-mile transmission-line project has been in the planning stages since 2009. It would carry electricity from New Mexico to Arizona and, eventually, California.
On Jan. 2, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, working with Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM), visited New Mexico and announced with fanfare that the project would go forward. "Not so fast" was the message that appeared to come from the office of Dunn, who promptly suspended the project's right-of-entry pending a 60-day review. The project's status has been somewhat in limbo since.
In addition to the fees, which are only for entry to state lands, the State Land Office said its initial internal assessment of the value of the right-of-way over state trust lands is between $750,000 to $1 million per mile. The project would cross 89 miles of state trust lands.
In a news release announcing the right-of-entry fees, Dunn said he was working in the interest of the state...
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