The PNM Mid-State Transmission Project

PNM has proposed a new 345-kilovolt transmission line, called the Mid-State Transmission Project, running through Torrance, Socorro, and Valencia counties. The route runs near Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge and both the Abó and Gran Quivira units of Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, and it crosses directly through our coverage area.

This is a significant project for our region, touching federal refuge land, a national historic site central to our shared heritage, and the everyday landscape of Torrance County. Its potential impact is multifaceted. The project implicates archaeological, cultural, economic, environmental, and emergency management issues. The Mountainair Dispatch is following it closely, from the public outreach process underway now to the regulatory review still ahead.

As part of that coverage, I submitted a round of public records requests today to the federal agencies, state agencies, and other entities with a stake in this project. I will also be attending the PNM meeting tomorrow regarding the project. I will report on what comes back.

Questions or information about the Mid-State project? Send a message to todd@mountainairdispatch.com. I intend to keep this community informed as it moves forward.