The Public Regulation Commission voted unanimously to reject the proposed location of the lines, finding that the application by the SunZia lacked information needed to determine the project’s environmental impact on communities it would span.
A hearing examiner had determined earlier that developers didn’t adequately research the zoning and land-use requirements of the property surrounding the proposed route.
The SunZia transmission project has been years in the making and not without controversy. Disputes initially rose over its proximity to a U.S. military installation, and environmentalists and ranchers have raised concerns about wildlife and rangeland.