The United States' largest wind farm is set to begin commercial operations this month, according to the latest analysis from the US Energy Information Administration (IEA). The SunZia Wind Project, located in New Mexico, will become the country's largest wind facility with a net summer generating capacity of 3,650 MW spread across 916 wind turbines. The project will also be supported by a dedicated transmission network to deliver renewable electricity to Arizona and California.

The project is more than three times larger than the country's next largest wind farms: Alta Wind Energy Center in Southern California, with 1,098 MW, and Great Prairie Wind Farm in northern Texas, with 1,027 MW.

Developed by Pattern Energy, SunZia began construction in 2023 following nearly two decades of permitting and planning. The project spans three counties in New Mexico. The northern section, located in San Miguel and Lincoln counties, includes 242 turbines, while the southern section, across Lincoln and Torrance counties, contains 674 turbines.

Boosting New Mexico’s renewable capacity

Before SunZia came online, New Mexico had 3,997 MW of installed wind capacity. The addition of the new project will increase the state's total wind capacity to 7,647 MW.

As a result, wind power will account for approximately 45% of New Mexico’s installed capacity mix, followed by solar at 19% and natural gas at 19%.

During the testing phase, several turbines were already generating electricity and supplying power to the grid. By April 2026, portions of the project were contributing electricity to the US power system.

Most of the electricity generated by SunZia will be exported to Arizona and Southern California. To enable this, Pattern Energy also developed the SunZia Transmission Project, a 550-mile (885-kilometer) high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line connecting central New Mexico with south-central Arizona.

The transmission system has a capacity of 3,021 MW, of which 2,131 MW will be delivered to Southern California through the Palo Verde Substation.

California records new wind generation high

Generation from SunZia is already being reported by the California Independent System Operator through federal electricity monitoring systems.

On May 15, 2026, CAISO recorded 7,122 MW of hourly wind generation, surpassing the previous annual record of 5,922 MW, set in 2024, by approximately 20%.

The commissioning of SunZia marks a major milestone for the US wind industry, highlighting the growing role of large-scale renewable energy projects and the transmission infrastructure required to connect them with major demand centers across the western United States.