Santa Fe, NM — New Mexico Senate Republicans are celebrating a major victory for rural New Mexico following today's announcement by the U.S. Department of Energy that it will cancel plans to move forward with the proposed Southwestern Grid Connector Corridor, known as the National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor (NIETC).
Senate Republican Whip Pat Woods (R-Broadview) praised the decision as a victory for private property rights, rural communities, agriculture, and New Mexico's way of life:
"This is a major win for rural New Mexico and for the families, ranchers, and communities who stood up and fought to protect their land and their livelihoods," said Sen. Pat Woods. "It took years of advocacy, education and persistence to get this right. I want to tip my hat to the New Mexico Cattle Growers' Association, landowners, local communities, and every stakeholder who refused to back down."
Woods also thanked President Donald Trump and Dept. of Energy Secretary Chris Wright for listening to rural New Mexicans and putting local communities ahead of misguided federal policies.
"Today is proof that when rural New Mexicans stand together and make their voices heard, we can make a difference. This victory is especially important to my district here in northeastern New Mexico; from Clayton to Roosevelt County, I met so many people who did everything they could to resolve this issue. This was a hard-fought battle, and rural New Mexico won."
The New Mexico Senate Republicans commend everyone who worked tirelessly to ensure that rural New Mexico's voice was heard and that private property rights and local communities remained at the forefront of this debate.
