HVDC Transmission

SunZia Transmission Line

HIGH RISK TRIBAL LAWSUIT

550-mile, $10B transmission line from New Mexico wind farms to Arizona/California markets. 9th Circuit revived tribal lawsuit in May 2025. Sacred sites and water resources at stake.

7.2

HIGH

Tribal Sovereignty Case

Tohono O'odham Nation and San Carlos Apache Tribe are plaintiffs. The lawsuit alleges impacts to sacred sites, human remains, and water resources in the San Pedro Valley.

Route

NM → AZ (550 mi)

Developer

Pattern Energy

Investment

$10 Billion

Capacity

3,000+ MW

Risk Signal Breakdown

⚖️ Federal Lawsuit (9th Circuit)

Appeals court REVIVED tribal lawsuit (May 2025); Tohono O'odham + San Carlos Apache plaintiffs, Weight: +2.0
👥 Opposition Groups (×4)

Tohono O'odham Nation, San Carlos Apache Tribe, Center for Biological Diversity, Archaeology Southwest, Weight: +4.0
🏛️ Historic/Environmental Conflict

Sacred sites, human remains, water resources in San Pedro Valley, Weight: +1.0
📰 Negative Media Coverage

20+ articles (Reuters, Inside Climate News, Courthouse News), Weight: +0.33

Raw Score: 7.33 → Normalized: 7.2/10

Sources

Appeals court revives tribal lawsuit against SunZia AZPM, May 2025
Ninth Circuit revives tribal challenge Courthouse News, May 2025
Legal Challenges Continue for SunZia Inside Climate News, May 2024
SunZia construction can proceed, judge rules Reuters, Apr 2024