New Transmission Line Improves Grid Resiliency and Supports Bird Habitat in New Mexico 

It is possible to build renewable energy infrastructure and improve habitat for birds. 

And in many cases, developers are willing to support additional conservation measures to improve project outcomes for the environment and people. In New Mexico, Audubon recently worked with NextEra Transmission to protect habitat during the planning of the Crossroads — Hobbs — Roadrunner Transmission line, an approximately 137-mile double-circuit 345-kV transmission line that now interconnects the Crossroads, Hobbs, and Roadrunner substations in Roosevelt and Lea counties. In collaboration with Audubon, the New Mexico State Land Office, and the New Mexico Land Conservancy, NextEra Energy Transmission was able to take additional measures to help the state’s Lesser Prairie-Chicken population.   

Most people associate Audubon with conservation work to protect birds and are often surprised to learn we work on electrical transmission and renewable energy projects. But there is an underlying core need driving this engagement. Two-thirds of North American bird species are at risk of extinction from habitat loss and intensifying extreme weather by the end of the century. In New Mexico, it's birds like our Mountain Bluebirds, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, and Pinyon Jay that we stand to lose if we do not start protecting the places they need from rising global temperatures.  

Audubon is committed to halting and ultimately reversing the decline of birds across the Americas, and we cannot do that without more renewable energy and a modernized and expanded electrical grid. That is why we engage on proposed projects and conduct deep analysis, utilizing our vast sets of bird and habitat data and scientific expertise to make sure they’re responsibly planned and operated.  

By protecting habitat and improving grid resiliency, the new Crossroads — Hobbs — Roadrunner Transmission line in New Mexico serves as an example of what can be accomplished when industry and conservation work together. As part of the project, disconnected areas of Lesser Prairie-Chicken habitat will be reconnected to the Lost Draw Ranch conservation bank, creating a complex of more than 60,000 acres of protected habitat. In addition, another 20,000 acres will be protected through land use restrictions or conditions which will limit further development in habitat that is critical for this bird.  

As NextEra’s new transmission line helps to power homes and strengthens grid reliability, Audubon will continue working with developers to build a bright future for all the people and critters that call New Mexico home. Thank you to everyone that had a hand in making this project happen.