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Committee approves memorial opposing broad federal transmission corridor that could trigger eminent domain
Summary
Senate Memorial 16 asks federal officials to reconsider a proposed National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor that would cross eastern New Mexico; farmers, ranchers and local leaders warned the corridor's scope and use of eminent domain could threaten generational agricultural land and local economies.
The Senate Rules Committee approved Senate Memorial 16 urging the U.S. Department of Energy and other federal authorities to reconsider a proposed national interest electric transmission corridor across eastern New Mexico, citing concerns about the corridor's width, potential use of eminent domain and effects on farms and ranches.
Sponsor Senator Woods and co-sponsor Senator Booth said constituents fear the proposed corridor, described in federal materials as between three and 15 miles wide in places, could affect private property and long-standing family agricultural operations. Testimony from agricultural and local leaders emphasized the economic scale of the region: witnesses cited annual agricultural production of about $1.9 billion and estimated total capital investment in land and infrastructure at more than $10 billion for the eight counties affected.
Tom Patterson, president-elect of the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association, told the committee the proposed corridor covers roughly 1.8 million acres in New Mexico and called the government's proposal a "land grab" that lacked transparency. A witness, Ed Hughes, said his family's ranch includes generational burial sites and said corridor establishment could put the ranch out of business. Kelly Fajardo of the New Mexico Farm Bureau said the use of eminent domain could disrupt livelihoods and regional economies.
Witnesses referenced federal authority to grant eminent-domain power in limited circumstances; one witness cited "16 U.S. Code section 824" in describing federal eminent-domain authority under the Federal Power Act when private companies obtain condemnation authority through FERC for interstate transmission projects. Committee members and witnesses urged better notice, more precise routing information and consultation with landowners and local governments before any corridor is finalized.
Some senators cautioned that large transmission projects take many years to develop and that the corridor's designation does not guarantee imminent construction. The memorial requests the DOE and the state's congressional delegation to protect private-property rights, require clearer public engagement and ensure state sovereignty in any corridor implementation.
The committee voted to forward the memorial. Supporters asked the Legislature to send a clear message opposing sweeping corridor designations that could enable eminent-domain assertions over broad swaths of private land.
