Southline CEC amendment hearing underway; implications for Hidalgo County

Southline Transmission, L.L.C. is asking the Arizona Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee to amend Certificate of Environmental Compatibility 173 to cover the remaining 57 miles of the WAPA upgrade segment, and a multi-day hearing is currently underway in Tucson. If approved, the amendment would mean the entire Southline Project within Arizona would be covered by a CEC, clearing one of the final permitting hurdles for the transmission corridor that ties into Lordsburg and southern New Mexico.

The Apache to Vail Upgrade Section at issue was fully reviewed and permitted through the federal National Environmental Policy Act process between 2012 and 2015, and the original CEC was issued in 2017 with a later amendment in 2021. Southline's current filing represents a late-stage state permitting submission intended to align Arizona approvals with the project segments already advanced through federal review.

The committee convened at the DoubleTree by Hilton Tucson - Reid Park, 445 South Alvernon Way, Tucson, for hearings that began Monday, January 12 and continue through Friday, January 16, with daily sessions starting at 9:00 a.m. and a special public comment session held January 12 at 5:30 p.m. Members of the public may present comments in person, by telephone, or via Zoom, and can watch or listen online; access links and downloadable exhibits, project posters, and public participation instructions are available on the Southline project page.

For Hidalgo County residents, Lordsburg is the most immediate local connection. Phase 1 of Southline ties areas outside Tucson to Lordsburg, while Phase 2 will proceed from the Lordsburg area across southern New Mexico toward El Paso. Southline materials highlight commitments to community investments such as support for the Lordsburg Revitalization Project and other local sponsorships and programs; those commitments are likely to factor into local evaluations of the project’s value.

The amendment’s approval would not itself build line segments in New Mexico, but it would clear an important regulatory step in the corridor’s forward progress and in aligning Arizona-level permits with federally reviewed upgrades. That alignment affects project timing, contractor mobilization windows, and the enforceability of any state-level conditions attached to the CEC.

The committee’s decision will be consequential for how and when work moves forward and for what conditions accompany the CEC. Residents and officials should review the downloadable hearing exhibits and participation instructions on the Southline project page to track commitments, technical plans, and any mitigation measures.

The takeaway? If you live in Lordsburg or Hidalgo County, take a look at the hearing exhibits, watch the remaining sessions online if you cannot attend, and weigh the project’s promised local investments against the timing and terms that will govern construction and operations.