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Attention Landowners

National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor to Impact Private Lands in Eastern New Mexico, Southeastern Colorado and the Oklahoma Panhandle. Comment period closes February 14th!

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is designating land in eastern New Mexico and southeastern Colorado to create a Southwestern National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor (NIETC). See the NIETC Phase 3 Map below. You can find more detailed maps and information here.

Learn More and Submit Comments

ISSUE SUMMARY

Infrastructure corridor would give federal government broad authority to exercise eminent domain for transmission projects.

According to the DOE, “a NIETC is an area of the country where DOE has determined that a lack of adequate transmission harms consumers and hampers access to reliable and affordable electricity”. Designation of an area as a NIETC enables DOE and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to use critical Federal financing and permitting tools to spur construction of transmission projects within the area.

Within this corridor, private, for-profit, government financed transmission developers can build industrial high-capacity transmission infrastructure, battery storage for renewable energy or “alternative non transmission solutions”.

The NIETC gives transmission developers, backed by the DOE, “the ability to obtain right-of-way by exercising the right of eminent domain.”

On December 16, 2024, DOE announced the three potential NIETCs moving to Phase 3 of the four-phase NIETC designation process and issued a notice in the Federal Register to solicit comments on DOE’s proposed public engagement framework and possible scope of analysis of the potential NIETCs, including environmental, cultural, or socioeconomic effects should DOE designate any of the potential NIETCs.

The potential Southwestern Grid Connector Corridor includes land in Colorado, New Mexico, and the Oklahoma panhandle. This potential NIETC focuses on the seam between the Eastern and Western Interconnections including back-to-back high-voltage direct current substations which can support interregional and cross-interconnection transmission opportunities. The width of the proposed corridor is 5-15 miles and the DOE has indicated that this may be expanded to include additional areas in the future.

Get updates from WLA on NIETC and other energy issues.

Landowners in New Mexico and Colorado are organizing. Learn about their efforts.

These are resources and letters that local landowners have shared with us. They are shared here for your information.

Townhall meetings

  • Artesia Chamber of Commerce

    4:00pm February 3rd, 2025 - Artesia, NM

  • Jake Lopez Building, Portales

    9:00am February 4th, 2025 - Portales, NM

  • Lee County Fairgrounds Yucca Building

    1:30pm February 4th, 2025 Lovington, NM

  • ENMU Ruidoso

    6:00pm February 11, 2025 - Ruidoso, NM

Presentation delivered to Baca County (NM) Commission.
NIETC Analysis and Review by Landmark Resource Firm.
New Mexico House GOP Caucus letter sent to NM Congressional Delegation about NIETC.

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