The proposed transmission line will transfer wind-produced power from New Mexico to cities in Arizona and California.

According to an Associated Press story in U.S. News and World Report, the Interior Department has approved a major new power transmission line that will move wind-generated power from New Mexico to western cities.
The SunZia project is part of a broader federal effort to modernize the power grid and boost renewable energy production. The project would include 520 miles of transmission lines to California and Arizona.
The article adds that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has a queue of more than 150 applications for wind and solar projects, largely on remote western lands. Critics of massive solar farms worry that installations will damage fragile desert ecosystems, often viewed as barren, and threaten the desert’s role as a carbon sink, recommending instead more solar panels near existing roadways and on parking lots.
FULL STORY: US Greenlights Major Transmission Line for Renewable Energy in Western States

Good Planning Under Bad Leadership
Planners must sometimes work under bad leadership. Here are suggestions for responsive planning in challenging political environments.

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Amtrak Cascades Line Breaks Ridership Record
The route linking Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, BC served nearly one million riders in 2024.

Over 71K Office-to-Apartment Units in the Pipeline for 2025
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How Houston Can Be a Model for Housing Reform
The city builds more new housing than almost any other and has dramatically reduced homelessness, yet low-income families struggle to find affordable housing.

Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
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