SANTA FE, N.M. – New Mexico Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard joined NextEra and other partners this morning to celebrate the energization of the Crossroads-Hobbs-Roadrunner transmission line, which will bring much-needed electricity to southern New Mexico.
As part of the project, the State Land Office was able to secure a 20,000-acre conservation restriction on large development to benefit lesser prairie chicken habitat.
The State Land Office and its partners also proactively contacted Tribes and private landowners for approval to build portions of the proposed transmission line and held public meetings in local communities to ensure the project delivered maximum benefits to the people of southern New Mexico.
“The Crossroads project is a great example of the power of collaboration,” said Commissioner Garcia Richard. “Working with NextEra and nonprofit partners, we are conserving a 40 square-mile habitat for the lesser prairie chicken while delivering much-needed electricity to keep the lights on in southern New Mexico. These efforts will ensure we are meeting the dual mandate of the land office pairing protections for the species with historic renewable revenue for New Mexico’s school kids. This is a win-win for everybody and will only add to the unprecedented $15 billion the State Land Office has earned for public education during my time in office.”
The 345-kV transmission line runs approximately 137 miles and connects the Crossroads substation in Roosevelt County to the Hobbs and Roadrunner substations in Lea County, decreasing the likelihood of future blackouts and allowing electricity to flow more reliable to Hobbs and other growing communities in southern New Mexico.
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Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard has overseen the New Mexico State Land Office since 2019. In that time the agency has earned over $15 billion for New Mexico public schools, hospitals, and universities. Over 13 million acres of state trust land are leased for a variety of uses, including ranching and farming, renewable energy, business development, mineral development, and outdoor recreation. The State Land Office has a dual mandate to use state trust land to financially support vital public institutions, while simultaneously working to protect the land for future generations.