The National Nuclear Security Administration is proposing to build an energy transmission line that would run across the protected Caja del Rio wilderness in Northern New Mexico. It would be the third such line in this area. The NNSA said Los Alamos National Laboratory needs the extra boost in power for national security interests.
But, leaders from pueblos and environmental groups are concerned about transparency, the legal process, and the impact on the land.
Located on the lower end of the Santa Fe National Forest, the Caja del Rio, or the 鈥渂ox of the river鈥� in its literal translation from Spanish, is over 100,000 acres of land dominated by pi帽on-juniper woodlands.
It boasts a diverse array of wildlife 鈥� from burrowing owls to herds of elk 鈥� but, it also holds immeasurable value to those who have called the Caja home for generations.
鈥淚t is a living, cultural landscape,鈥� said Jim James, the the legal council for the nearby Pueblo of Tesuque.
James has become increasingly concerned about a that would cut across approximately 14 miles of the Caja del Rio plateau.
That鈥檚 where the National Nuclear Security Administration wants to connect a new line from the northwest of Santa Fe to LANL in the interest of 鈥渕aintaining鈥� and 鈥渆nhancing鈥� the nation鈥檚 nuclear weapons stockpile.
The power increase would also help scientists reach the full potential of their supercomputers. LANL said it owns two of the three most powerful supercomputers in the world, but neither has enough processing power to unlock all the capabilities of complicated climate modeling software.
A LANL spokesperson said the electrical power capacity upgrade project 鈥渨ould support a new, more powerful supercomputer鈥� that will facilitate climate modeling, while 鈥渁lso supporting the Laboratory鈥檚 other cutting-edge experiments in neutron science, medical isotope research, and innumerable other fields of research and development.鈥�
However, the project would require amending Santa Fe National Forest Management plan to allow for a utility corridor through the Caja.
James is skeptical of the legal process, which involves many federal agencies 鈥� including the Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, and the NNSA.
鈥淚f it鈥檚 being followed, it鈥檚 being followed very minimally,鈥� James said.
Specifically, James points to several laws like the or NEPA and the .
The NEPA process begins when a federal agency develops a proposal to take a major federal action. It鈥檚 meant to gauge if the government needs to analyze the impacts it may or may not have on the environment.
But, as of right now, the impacts to cultural and historical sites are still missing. James said the Pueblo of Tesuque was notified right before Christmas that they would get it at a 鈥渓ater date,鈥� but there was no specific date or timeline.
鈥淭his is not a comprehensive report or environmental assessment draft that any of us can look at, not just the Pueblos, but the public as well," James said. "That鈥檚 a little strange.鈥�
The labs could go beyond the NEPA process and provide a full-blown environmental impact statement to take a deep dive into the project鈥檚 consequences. But, , LANL said there鈥檚 no need.
This all follows criticism from locals, environmental groups and New Mexico鈥檚 Congressional delegation when the agency decided to hold a short, 30-day comment period over the winter holidays.
Then, after the fierce backlash, a was opened at the beginning of February.
In a response emailed to 九色网, LANL wrote: 鈥淣NSA is committed to engaging the public and tribal governments on this project through a clear and deliberate process.鈥�
The NNSA said the proposed Caja project would follow an already existing transmission line dubbed the Reeves line.
However, it鈥檚 a bit more complicated.
Andrew Black is the founder of , a faith-based environmental advocacy organization. He鈥檚 been fighting this proposal since its inception.
鈥淵ou're creating a massive disturbance on the landscape that's going from a couple 100 feet to hundreds of feet, as it widens out that transmission corridor, you're basically creating what can ultimately become a virtual barrier to wildlife movement and connectivity across the landscape," Black said.
The current plan would build 17 new towers right next to the old line, with the addition of completely new infrastructure like roads, for example.
In addition to the two existing lines in the area 鈥� the Norton Substation, and the Reeves in the far West 鈥� the proposal would also establish a third and separate transmission utility corridor dissecting the Caja Del Rio from East to West. There, towers will be installed every 800 feet. The exact number is currently in the air.
When asked about the towers, LANL wrote in an email: 鈥淭he proposed transmission line will follow existing roads to the maximum extent practicable, as to minimize the addition of access routes for maintenance and which would comply with Santa Fe National Forest Travel Management Plan requirements. The location of these wooden transmission structures, temporary roads, and new permanent roads will avoid placement within stream crossings, El Camino Real National Historic Trail, and any cultural resources.鈥�
But, Black said the process has been rushed from the get-go, and he wants LANL to not just just assess the environment, but understand the impacts the line will have on the wildlife, water, and culture.
鈥淲e are calling on LANL, who is made up of world-class scientists, to come up with world class solutions and come up with a better proposal than this,鈥� Black added.
As it turns out, there are ways to avoid building a new transmission line. This includes establishing a microgrid, upscaling renewable energy and simply updating the lab鈥檚 technological capabilities.
Kerinia Cusick is the board vice president for the , a non-profit energy think tank working to find policy solutions that advance clean energy.
Cusick said it鈥檚 fairly normal for projects like these to push any sort of environmental impacts to the side.
鈥淭hat gets considered very late in the process, and often the project is so baked, that the only thing that can be done is to just simply kill it, right?鈥�
Cusick said that the cheapest way to build a transmission line is to make it as short as possible as the crow flies. But, when public and protected lands are at stake, it may be worth looking at upgrading the existing transmission.
鈥淭hat's broadly referred to as ,鈥� Cusick said. 鈥淵ou can significantly increase the amount of power by basically just putting bigger, thicker, fatter transmission lines.鈥�
Cusick imagines the lab could better utilize distributed solar to meet energy needs, combined with the use of uninterruptible battery supply systems. According to LANL, its purchased electricity was 31% carbon pollution-free for FY 2023.
鈥淏ut rarely do you find transmission planners looking at it on a holistic basis," Cusick said. "They just look at it on a single project basis.鈥�
So, as America鈥檚 infrastructure starts to age, and federal agencies face increasing pressure to reduce their impacts on our planet, Cusick stresses the solution isn鈥檛 to just stop the construction of transmission line projects all together, but to establish trust and to find creative ways to meet our ever-growing energy needs.
A public meeting to discuss the proposal will be held on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., at the Santa Fe Community College, Jemez Room, 6401 Richards Avenue, Santa Fe, N.M. 87508.
